


Echo

by LostInTheWiind



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, George Weasley - Freeform, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 66
Words: 189,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24741286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInTheWiind/pseuds/LostInTheWiind
Summary: It's well known that Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is rooted in hidden truths and dark secrets, but when Shaye Frazier begins her seven years there and ends up meeting The Boy Who Lived, she never expected to get tangled in a web of mysteries that lead her directly into the jaws of You-Know-Who and the truth surrounding her sister's mysterious disappearance.
Relationships: George Weasley & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT

**1.** I DO NOT own the rights to any of the Harry Potter characters or storylines. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling. I only own my original characters and original side-plots. 

**2.** While the majority of this story will be based on the movies, I will be adding bits and pieces from the books that were left out in the film adaptations for clarity to the plot and entertainment value. 

**3.** I welcome any and all nice comments and constructive criticism. What I DON'T welcome, however, are rude remarks and/or generally unhelpful comments. If you don't like my story, you do not have to read it. There are plenty of other books/fanfictions out there for you to read. I implore you to find something you genuinely enjoy. 

**4.** As you may or may not know, I wrote a different Harry Potter fic a few years ago. While it was fun to write and I had some good ideas for it, I was an inexperienced writer at the time and am now overall unhappy with the finished product. Therefore, I will be including a few aspects from my old fic into this one to make it a little more interesting, but the main plot of this fic differs vastly from my first one. 

**5.** I sincerely hope you enjoy this fic! Thank you for reading. 


	2. Shaye Frazier

**Year 1 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

Picking up the final stack of books sitting on her bed, Shaye piled it into her trunk before forcing the top shut and plopping down on top of it so she could secure the lock to make sure it wouldn't pop open during the following day on the way to King's Cross Railway Station. With an exhausted huff, the small girl turned her attention to the rain-splattered window of her bedroom and listened as the water droplets pounded against the glass.

Despite the less than joyous weather outside—unless you liked the rain, which Shaye didn't really—Shaye's spirits were high. In less than twenty-four hours she would board the Hogwarts Express and begin her first of seven years at the school for witchcraft and wizardry. 

Coming from a pureblood family of witches and wizards, Shaye Frazier had lived in a world full of magic for as long as she could remember. Her first real memory was of lying in bed with her enchanted stuffed elephant singing her to sleep with a lullaby. Needless to say, she was no stranger to the life of floating inanimate objects, magical creatures, and everything from the good to the bad that came with being born with magic. 

In fact, her family was more acquainted with the bad than most.

"Breakfast is ready!" a faint female voice, belonging to Shaye's mother, came from the kitchen downstairs. 

"Coming!" Shaye called back before gently sliding off of her trunk and hoping it would stay shut, which thankfully, it did. 

Heading for the door, Shaye took one last look at her bedroom, making sure she had packed everything she needed. In the days leading up to the 1st of September, she had packed and re-packed her trunk about five times in anticipation, but this was the last time and she had to make sure everything was perfect. Her trunk remained closed, her robes were hanging in her closet for the next day, and her small red owl Erwin was snoozing peacefully in his cage, seemingly soothed by the sound of the rain.

With a pleased nod to herself, Shaye turned on her heel and headed down the hall. Before reaching the stairs, however, she passed an open door and slowed to look inside. The door to her sister's room was almost never open, but upon spotting the shifted books and slightly ajar closet door, it was clear that either her mother or father had been looking for something; probably a hand-me-down book or something for Shaye to take with her to Hogwarts.

It was easy to tell when something had been moved or touched in Shaye's sister's room because the room had remained pretty much completely untouched for two years. Ever since Lorelei Frazier disappeared, her room had been left exactly how it had been before Lorelei left for her final year at Hogwarts and disappeared on her seventeenth birthday. 

Shaye tried not to think too hard about the unoccupied room. She had done plenty of worrying for almost an entire year after her big sister disappeared—her entire family had, but after they hit dead end after dead end and the rumours started spreading, they were forced to give up the search. Lorelei was simply gone. Shaye had come to terms with this fact. 

What Shaye refused to accept, however, was that the rumours surrounding her sister were true. No matter how many people said it, Shaye couldn't believe that her beloved sister had turned to the dark side and joined the Death Eaters, and not just because the followers of the Dark Lord, You-Know-Who, had mostly disbanded since his famous run-in with Harry Potter ten years ago. 

Taking a step closer to the doorway, Shaye peeked her head inside of the room and smiled when she caught sight of her favourite photograph of her sister. Smiling and laughing in the moving picture, Lorelei was standing in front of a blooming tree in her green Slytherin robes—she was the only member of the Frazier family to be sorted into Slytherin for many generations—and next to her, with her arm around Lorelei, stood her best friend Hattie Carter, who was in her red Gryffindor robes. The two girls were in their fourth year at Hogwarts, making them both fourteen. 

With a sad smile, Shaye looked down at the silver bracelet around her wrist that had been a gift from her sister—in fact, it had been the very last thing she had ever received from Lorelei before she went missing—and twisted it around her arm a few times. Then, grabbing the doorknob, she closed the bedroom door and descended the stairs.

Entering the kitchen, which smelled of delicious bacon and pancakes, Shaye was greeted by her mother Elise, who was just grabbing some glasses for the orange juice while the plates full of food floated over to the table by themselves, and her father Dorian, who was sitting in his usual spot, reading the Daily Prophet like he did every morning. 

"Good morning." Elise smiled as she joined the two at the table and cleared her throat in her husband's direction, wordlessly telling him to put the paper down. "Are you all packed?"

Shaye nodded. "Yes. I've got everything." she paused a moment. "Lorelei's bedroom door was open."

Shaye's parents shared a slightly worried look. It was no secret that they didn't much like discussing their eldest daughter, especially with their youngest, but they always tried to be as supportive of Shaye's feelings towards the subject. 

"Ah, yes, I was . . . just looking for a spare set of scales for you to take," Dorian said. "I know the Hogwarts letter only says one set, but they don't make them like they used to. The ones these days break much too easily. A spare set is just smart."

"Exactly." Elise nodded, a relieved smile crossing her face. 

Shaye nodded as she reached for the syrup for her pancakes. "Did you find any?"

"Find any what?" 

"Scales."

"Oh, right. No. No, I didn't."

Knowing that her parents were uncomfortable, Shaye decided to change the subject. However, that didn't quite go as planned. "What house do you think I'll be sorted into?" Shaye asked. 

"Well, what house do you want to be sorted into?" Elise asked before taking a sip of her juice.

Shaye thought for a moment. "I guess Gryffindor, like you guys," she said. "But . . . what if I'm in Slytherin like Lorelei?"

Shaye's parents looked at each other once more. "We will be happy with whichever house you are sorted into," Elise told her daughter.

"And the hat is very wise," Dorian added. "No matter where you end up, you will fit in and make friends with your housemates. Now stop worrying and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Falling silent, Shaye turned her attention back to the food on her plate and did as her father said, but while she ate, she couldn't help but continue to worry about her future at Hogwarts. There was a part of her that wanted to end up in Gryffindor like her parents and most of her family, but then there was another part of her that wondered if being placed in Slytherin would help her feel closer to her sister and maybe find out what really happened.

Shaye had been only nine years old when her sister disappeared, and although her sister had become almost unrecognizable in her final year at Hogwarts, Shaye focused on the memories from before that; the memories of when the two of them had been best friends. The memories from before Lorelei had been branded the 'bad apple' of the family. 

Shaye was certain that whatever awaited her at Hogwarts was going to be an adventure with many twists and turns, but what she wasn't so sure about was whether or not she was ready. She had been waiting eleven years for this day and now that it was finally here, she was suddenly bombarded by fears she had never even entertained before.

With her good mood dissipated, now feeling much like the gloomy weather outside, Shaye tried her best to focus on the good and block out the bad. She was determined to make her own path at Hogwarts and prove that she wasn't her sister. 

Shaye was determined to be the best that she could possibly be. 


	3. The Hogwarts Express

If there was one thing that arriving at King's Cross Station the following morning did to Shaye, it filled her with even more nerves and combined excitement than she had felt the entire evening before. All night Shaye had been tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the good and worrying about the bad. Now that she was getting ready to step through the slightly intimidating brick wall in front of herself to get to platform nine and three quarters—which she had done a few times when dropping her sister off before—her emotions were so intense that the only thing she could focus on was her shaking hands. 

"Just like you've done it before." Elise placed a comforting hand on her daughter's back as the three stood in front of the wall between platforms nine and ten. 

With her parents on either side of her for support, Shaye broke into a light jog and without slowing down for a second, disappeared through the wall and came out the other side in front of the maroon coloured train that she had been waiting years to see again. 

With thick clouds of steam rising from its engine and bold lettering on the side that read **Hogwarts Express** , the locomotive was exactly how she had remembered it. The only difference was that this time, it was here for her. 

Just like that, all nerves had exited Shaye's body to make room for the overwhelming feeling of anticipation and excitement. Kids of all ages, shapes and sizes were bustling along the platform, loading their things onto the train, saying goodbye to their parents and even meeting up with friends. It was at that moment that Shaye wished she had someone to board the train with.

When the train whistle blew loud and startlingly for all to hear, signalling that it would be leaving soon (at precisely eleven o'clock, just like it always did), Dorian looked down at Shaye and smiled. "Well, we better get your things on board," he said. "You ready?"

Taking her travel case with her change of clothes off the top of the trolley that her father had been pushing, Shaye nodded. She was sure that lots of kids had a hard time saying goodbye to their parents for the first time, but she wasn't exactly going to go voicing that for all of her peers to hear. She was sure that with the reputation that came with being Lorelei Frazier's sister, she would have enough trouble making friends as it was.

Returning a few minutes later with an empty trolley after having loaded Shaye's things and her pet owl onto the train, Dorian pulled his daughter in for a quick hug, which Elise happily joined in on. "You're going to have a great time," he assured the girl whose smile said she was fine but whose worried green eyes gave away her true feelings. "Once you get there you'll forget all about your mother and me."

"Some of my best years were the ones I spent at Hogwarts," Elise said. "Have fun. We'll miss you."

"Goodbye," they said in unison, waving as Shaye approached the train that was now packed full of kids.

Shaye waved goodbye to her parents before climbing aboard. With one final look out the window, she turned down the narrow aisle and started to look for a place to sit. At first, it seemed that all of the compartments were already full or occupied by much older kids who didn't so much as give her a sideways glance. 

In one of the compartments, Shaye swore she saw a pair of red-headed twins getting ready to set off what looked like fireworks and quickly moved along before something bad happened. By the time she neared the back of the train, she was beginning to think she might have to stand in the aisle for the entire journey when she spotted a boy about her age sitting alone in a compartment. 

Deciding this was probably her best shot, Shaye slid the door open and gave a faint knock on the window. "Hi there," she greeted, and the boy turned to look at her. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Please." the boy gestured to the empty seat across from himself.

Relieved, Shaye stepped inside. Stuffing her small case onto the luggage rack overhead, she took a seat and looked up at the boy who was smiling at her. He had black hair, glasses (that were held together by a piece of tape in the middle) and green eyes. Above all, however, he looked just as happy to have someone to sit with as Shaye did.

"I'm Shaye Frazier." Shaye introduced herself and stuck out her hand towards the boy. "This is my first year at Hogwarts."

"Mine too." the boy returned the gesture and shook Shaye's hand. "I'm Harry Potter."

Shaye's mouth fell open. This was far from the first time she had heard or even read that name. The entire wizarding community knew _that_ name. Before Shaye could say anything, however, a boy with red hair appeared at the doorway. At first, Shaye thought it was one of the twins she had seen trying to set off fireworks, but upon a closer look, she noted that this boy was younger and had a rounder face.

"Excuse me. Do you mind?" he pointed to the free spot beside Shaye. "Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all," Harry said and Shaye nodded in agreement.

With a crooked smile, the red-headed boy sat down beside Shaye. "I'm Ron, by the way." he wasted no time in introducing himself. "Ron Weasley."

"I'm Shaye Frazier." Shaye happily introduced herself again, pleased to have not only one possible new friend, but two. 

Ron's face lit up. "Are you related to that girl who-" he started, but stopped himself when he noticed the uncomfortable look on Shaye's face. "My brothers told me about it."

Shaye had been expecting this but had been hoping it wouldn't happen so soon. "Well, if you think I'm cool, just wait." she pointed across the way at Harry, eager to deflect curiosity. "That's Harry Potter."

Ron's eyes nearly popped out of his head and his mouth fell open the same way Shaye's had. "So it's true!" he exclaimed. " I mean, do you really have the . . .?"

"The what?" Harry was unsure as to what Ron was referring to, but Shaye picked up on it right away. 

"I think what he's trying to ask is, do you really have the scar?" Shaye asked.

Without hesitation, Harry pulled his bangs back off of his forehead to reveal a lightning-bolt shaped scar. "Wicked!" Ron gasped.

Just then, the sound of uneven wheels rolling down the aisle caught the trio's attention and the three turned in time to see an older woman standing outside the compartment pushing a trolley of candy and assorted snacks. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked.

Shaye shook her head. Her parents had made her eat a big breakfast that morning so she would be full until dinner. Ron looking longingly at the trolley before his face fell and he pulled a squished sandwich out of his pocket.

Seemingly inspired by Ron's depressing-looking sandwich, Harry pulled a handful of coins out of his pocket. "We'll take the lot," he said, and within minutes the empty space beside Harry on the seat was almost completely taken up by candy.

Harry, who was nice enough to share his pile of treats with Ron and Shaye, was baffled by the types of candy from the wizarding world. After explaining that he had grown up with his muggle aunt and uncle after his parents died, it made sense why he was more used to Mars Bars than Chocolate Frogs or Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"They mean every flavour," Ron said as he chewed off a piece of a large gummy worm. "There's chocolate and peppermint and there's also . . . spinach, liver and tripe. George sweared he got a bogey-flavoured one once."

Clearly put-off by the possible flavours of the otherwise normal-looking jellybeans, Harry slowly spat out the one in his mouth before daring to bite into it. 

Shaye chuckled. "You'll get used to it," she assured the overwhelmed boy. "When my parents first introduced me to wizard candy I was freaked out too. I definitely prefer muggle chocolate bars over these," she held up a Chocolate Frog box and handed it over to Harry.

"These aren't real frogs, are they?" he looked quizzically down at the packaging in his hands. 

"It's just a spell," Ron explained. "Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I've got about five-hundred meself."

"Do you really collect the cards?" Shaye asked and Ron nodded. "I usually just throw them in a drawer and forget about them."

Ron seemed slightly offended by this, but then, a hopeful looked appeared on his freckled face. "You haven't got Agrippa, do you? I haven't got one of him."

Shaye thought for a moment. "Maybe." she shrugged. "If I do, you can have him if you want."

"Really?" Ron's face lit up once more, like a kid at Christmas. "Thanks a bunch, Shaye!"

Shaye smiled wide as she and Ron directed their attention back to Harry, who had just opened his Chocolate Frog box. Almost immediately the enchanted treat jumped out of the package and onto the glass where it slowly climbed up to where the window was open a crack at the top. Seconds later, the wind swept the frog out the window and it was gone.

"Oh, that's rotten luck," Ron said. "They've only got one good jump in them to begin with."

Looking down at the card in his hands, Harry flipped it over to reveal a small moving picture that showed an older man with a long, white beard and half-moon-shaped glasses. "I've got Dumbledore!" he said and showed Shaye the card that depicted the headmaster of Hogwarts. When Harry turned the card back to himself, however, Dumbledore was gone. "Hey, he's gone."

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?" Ron spoke with his mouth full of food.

Harry stared at Ron quizically, but it wasn't because he was speaking with his mouth full. A large, brown rat had crawled out of Ron's pocket and was now sticking its head in a candy package on Ron's lap. 

"This is Scabbers, by the way." Ron looked down at his pet rat and huffed. "Pathetic, isn't he?"

Shaye shrugged, not wanting to insult Ron's pet. Harry, however, decided to be a little bit more vocal. "Just a little bit," he admitted.

"Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow. Want to see?"

Both Shaye and Harry perked up at this. "Yeah!" they both leaned forward as Ron pulled out his wand and cleared his throat. 

Before any words could be uttered, however, a girl with frizzy brown hair appeared at the doorway. "Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked. "A boy named Neville's lost one."

Ron shook his head. "No."

The girl was just about to turn and continue her search for the amphibian elsewhere when she spotted the wand in Ron's hand. "Oh, are you doing magic?" she smirked. "Let's see, then."

Ron cleared his throat once more before pointing his wand at the rat in his lap. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow."

Once the 'spell' had been performed, the only thing that happened was a small puff of smoke and the cardboard candy package fell off of Scabbers' head. Ron, unbothered that his rat wasn't any more or less yellow than before, simply shrugged.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl in the doorway asked. "Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself but they've all worked for me." She then pulled a wand out of her robes, which she had already changed into, and invited herself into the compartment. Sitting down across from Harry, she pointed her wand at his broken glasses and said, " _Oculus Reparo_."

As the glasses magically mended themselves, the strip of white tape fell away and vanished into thin air. 

"Wow, that's so cool!" Shaye gushed. "You're really good! My parents never let me practice magic at home."

As Harry removed his glasses to take a better look at them in their as-good-as-new state, he accidentally brushed some of his bangs out of the way and revealed his scar again. "Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter!" the girl was just as impressed as Ron had been. "I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?" she looked at the other two in the compartment. 

"I'm Shaye Frazier." Shaye introduced herself.

"And I'm Ron Weasley," Ron spoke with his mouth full again.

"Pleasure." Hermione grimaced at Ron before flashing a quick smile in Shaye's direction. "You three better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon." She stood up to leave but paused just outside the compartment. "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way," she told Ron. "Did you know? Just there."

And then, with a loud whistle from the train proving that Hermione was right about arriving soon, she walked off down the aisle. Ron, however, was too busy trying to rub the dirt off of his nose to notice her leave, and when he looked back up again to say something, she was already gone.

Reaching into the small case she had brought with her into the compartment, Shaye pulled out her school clothes and black robe and pulled them over the clothes she was already wearing like Harry and Ron did. 

Then, sitting back in her seat, the trio started talking about their families. Well, it was more accurately Ron talking about his huge family—which consisted of five older brothers, two of which turned out to be the twins Shaye had spotted earlier, and a younger sister—while Shaye and Harry listened. 

The latter two didn't really need to tell anyone about their family life because, for the most part, it was already public knowledge. 

After a while, Shaye turned her attention to the window and watched as the sun began to set on the horizon. In the background, Ron was explaining the wizard game of Quidditch to Harry, but Shaye was only half listening. As the train grew closer and closer to Hogwarts, the worrying about which house she would be sorted into re-emerged inside of her head.

The only thing she could think about as the train began to slow into the Hogwarts Station was: Gryffindor or Slytherin? Good or bad? An echo of her sister or the chance to be her own person?


	4. Welcome to Hogwarts

~~~~By the time the train had come to a full stop, the sun and blue hue had completely disappeared from the sky, replaced quickly with a bright moon and a dark canvas speckled with glinting stars. Shaye was positive this was the same night sky she saw when she looked out the window of her bedroom back home, but for some unknown reason that she just couldn't put her finger on, it seemed different tonight; vaster, blacker . . . more magical.

"Right, then." a loud, booming voice was the first thing that Shaye, Harry, and Ron heard as they stepped off of the train and onto the cement platform. "First years, this way, please!"

A large huddle of first-years flocked toward the voice, but as soon as Shaye saw the man belonging to it—a giant of a man who stood easily two times larger than any other person she had ever seen with long brown hair and a scraggly brown beard—she was sure she couldn't have missed him even if she tried. 

"Come on, now, first-years, don't be shy." the man held out a glowing lantern so the smallest and newest of the Hogwarts students knew where to gather. "Come on now, hurry up." The man then smiled down at Harry as if he knew him, which knowing Harry Potter, he probably did. "Hello, Harry."

"Hey, Hagrid." Harry greeted the large man while Shaye, Ron and most of the other first-years were busy taking in his size. 

Unbothered by the ogling eyes that he was probably far too used to, the giant man, Hagrid, waved for the pack of young children to follow him. "Right, then. This way to the boats. Come on, now, follow me."

Staying close to the front of the group with Harry and Ron, Shaye followed Hagrid as he led them away from the train station and towards a small dock surrounded by wooden boats. Following Hagrid's instructions of no more than four students to a boat, Shaye climbed into one of the first ones with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Occupying the lead boat all to himself, Hagrid waited until all of the students were settled before calling for the boats to move, and just like that, without the press of a button or even the wave of a wand, the fleet of boats drifted off into the black lake. 

For a while, the only source of light was the small lanterns hanging from the front of the boats. Shaye strained her eyes in the darkness trying to find their destination, but when the fleet rounded a bend and the world seemed to light up from the warm glow of the large castle ahead, Shaye gasped. She had heard stories about Hogwarts and even seen pictures of the castle, but there was nothing compared to first time you saw it in person. 

Shaye was far from the only student admiring the castle because wherever she looked, mouths were hung open and eyes were wide. "Wicked," Ron whispered, his voice just barely audible over the lapping of the water against the side of the boat. 

By the time Shaye had had a chance to contain her excitement and nerves, the boats had arrived at another dock where a large boathouse sat, seemingly unused for a while. The students were led up a winding flight of wooden steps and then, the moment that everyone had been waiting for, into the castle itself.

Following a strict path, Shaye and the others headed down a plain-looking corridor where the only decorations on the stone walls were torches for light and then up another flight of stairs. It was there that a woman in emerald green robes and a witch's hat greeted them, faint chattering and music coming from the closed doors behind her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." the woman greeted. She was older and had her hair tied back, and despite the serious look on her face, Shaye noted that she also had kind eyes. "Now, in a few moments, you'll pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now, while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule-breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

"Trevor!" a boy shouted out of nowhere as he lunged forward through the crowd and scooped up a toad that had been sitting at the woman's feet. Nervously, the boy peered up at the woman before backing into the crowd and attempting to disappear into the many faces. Shaye guessed that that must have been Neville, the boy Hermione was helping on the train.

Brushing off the interruption as if it hadn't even happened, the woman continued. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily." With that, she exited through the doors, leaving the first-years alone in the hall.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train." a boy with slicked-back blonde hair turned to look at Harry as soon as the adult was out of earshot. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." he then gestured to the two large boys, both with brown hair and round faces, on either side of himself. "This is Crabbe, and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Ron couldn't help but snicker at the odd-sounding name, but unfortunately, he hadn't been nearly as quiet as he thought he had been. "Think my name's funny, do you?" Draco sneered. "I've no need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley."

"There is nothing wrong with hand-me-down things," Shaye spoke up on behalf of her new friend. "I bet plenty of people here have things from older brothers and sisters. I've got a bunch of my sister's old books."

"That's nothing to be proud of . . . especially coming from you." Draco looked Shaye up and down as if he were analyzing her. "Don't think your sister's leftovers will save you, Frazier, even if she was the only sensible one in your family . . . that is, until she up and vanished."

Shaye felt her cheeks turn red-hot and took a defeated step backwards. Draco then turned his attention back to Harry. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter," he said and eyed Ron and Shaye. "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Draco held out his hand toward Harry, but Harry didn't move his arm an inch. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," he said in response. 

It was then that the woman in green robes returned, and using the rolled-up piece of parchment in her hand, she tapped Draco on the shoulder. "We're ready for you now," she told the first-years as soon as Draco had gotten back into line. "Follow me."

When the large set of doors swung open behind the woman, she started forward, leading the pack of awe-stricken first-years through them. The room was by far the biggest room Shaye had ever seen. Torches lined the walls and candlesticks floated in mid-air, bringing a welcoming warmth to the room. Four long tables stretched almost the entire length of the room, each table packed with students and each table of students sporting a different colour than the other three.

At the front of the room, another table filled with adults—most likely teachers—was positioned perpendicular to the four filled with students. 

The rest of the students watched carefully as Shaye and the other new-arrivals made their way up to the front of the room. "It's not real, the ceiling." Shaye heard Hermione say and looked up at the black roof where stars shone brightly just like outside. "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

When the group made it to the front of the room, all eyes went to a lone stool that was sitting before them on a raised platform with a brown, ratty-looking hat perched atop it. "I expected the Sorting Hat to look a little more . . . interesting," Shaye whispered to Ron, who nodded in agreement.

"All right, will you all wait along here, please." the woman in green stepped up onto the platform and gestured to the area in front of herself. "Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

Rising from the magnificent golden seat in the middle of the teacher's table, the same man that Shaye had seen on the card Harry had pulled from his Chocolate Frog box cleared his throat before addressing the room. "I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce." he began, his maroon robes, white beard, and half-moon spectacles exactly how Shaye had seen them before. "The first years, please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch," he gestured to a grumpy looking man with long hair and a receding hairline that was standing at the back of the room with a cat sitting by his feet, "has asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."

And with that—a brand new fear to worry about on top of everything else—Shaye watched as Dumbledore sat back down and allowed the woman in green to begin the Sorting Ceremony. "When I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses." she unrolled the parchment and called the first name on the list. "Shaye Frazier."

Shaye swallowed hard, thoroughly unprepared to be the first name called. The room went silent as she stepped up to the stool and she wasn't sure if it was because she was who she was or if it was just tradition to remain quiet during the ceremony.

Looking up at the woman's kind eyes to make her feel better, Shaye smiled nervously as the old, brown hat was placed upon her head. Immediately her mind started to scramble, thoughts and fears about which house she would be sorted into flashed into fruition before vanishing and being replaced with something that made her worry even more. Gryffindor or Slytherin? What if she ended up in one of the other houses like Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? What if she was sorted into Slytherin and went bad like her sister? What if she was sorted into Gryffindor and everyone knew she didn't belong there?

"Very interesting." the hat spoke with a deep, thoughtful voice and Shaye's mind instantly went blank. "A mind like this is very rare, yes . . . you have qualities suited to all four houses, but which pull is the strongest, hmm? You have a burning desire to prove yourself, but then again, don't we all? I sense an internal struggle . . . uncertainty. You could really challenge yourself in Slytherin, yes, but maybe you prefer somewhere where all that courage can go to use? Maybe Gryffindor is the place for you. Well, I think it better be . . ."

If Shaye thought the room was quiet before, it was nothing compared to now. She was sure she could hear a pin drop all the way from the train station. With legs shaking and her fingers gripping the sides of the stool so hard that her knuckles turned white, she waited with bated breath along with the rest of the room for the hat to sort her . . . but it never did.

At first, it seemed like the hat was pausing for effect, but then ten seconds passed, and then twenty, and then thirty, and still it remained silent. It was then that a new fear entered Shaye's mind; a fear she hadn't even considered before. What if she didn't get sorted at all? What if she didn't belong in any of the houses?

After about five long minutes of complete and utter silence, small conversations started up here and there. Shaye looked to Harry and Ron for support but they just shrugged. It was clear they had no better idea of what was happening than she did.

Noticing that the room was starting to get rowdy, the woman in green removed the hat from Shaye's head and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Probably just a hatstall, dear," she said with a smile. "It happens sometimes. No need to worry. We'll just come back to you."

Trying not to look too confused or upset, Shaye returned to the small gathering of first-years where she heard Draco laughing and a few of the other students muttering. "I don't even know what a hatstall is," Shaye whispered as the woman called Hermione's name. 

"I've read about it," Hermione said on her way up to the stool. "It's when the hat takes longer than five minutes to decide what house to place someone in because they are equally suited to two or more houses. It's pretty rare, but it does happen."

Shaye felt a little bit better because of this information, mostly because it meant she belonged in more than one house and not none like she had feared. Trying her best to calm her nerves, she stood silently while the rest of the first-years were sorted.

Hermione was placed in Gryffindor, Draco into Slytherin (unsurprisingly) along with his companions Crabbe and Goyle, both Ron and Neville into Gryffindor and after much debate and thinking (but not nearly as much as with Shaye), Harry was placed into Gryffindor as well after pleading to be placed anywhere but Slytherin (which was a tactic that Shaye supposed she should have tried.)

After the last student besides Shaye had been sorted and she was the only one left standing at the front of the room, the woman in green invited her back up to the stool and placed the hat back onto her head. Knowing now that her friends had been placed in Gryffindor, Shaye now believed she knew where she truly wanted to be.

"Oh, you again." the hat spoke softly, already thinking hard about which house to place the youngest Frazier sibling in. "I stand by my assumption that you would do well in Slytherin, as did your sister, yes . . . but something inside of you is fighting it, I can see that very clearly. Something has changed since the last time we were together. You are terrified of being like your sister . . . terrified of being different . . . but tell me, is it really so bad being different? Very well then. In that case, Gryffindor!"

Relief washing over her entire body like a waterfall, Shaye stood up to the applause from the Gryffindor table and sat down in one of the empty spots at the front reserved for the first-years. "See?" Hermione beamed. "I told you it was nothing to worry about."

"Well, you didn't, actually," Ron said. 

"That doesn't matter." Shaye smiled as the nerves that had been building for two full days finally began to leave her body. "I'm just glad it all worked out."

Tapping on her glass with her spoon to quiet down the room, which Hermione had since stated was called the Great Hall, the woman in green began an announcement after she had put the stool and the Sorting Hat away. "Your attention, please," she said. 

With that, Dumbledore stood up once more. "Let the feast begin." he waved his arms and just like that the tables that had previously only been set with plates and cutlery were filled with so many different types of food that Shaye barely knew where to begin.

At once the students started loading up their plates with this and that and the conversations began. "I'm half and half." a boy named Seamus with a strong Irish accent began telling people. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out."

"I was so scared that she was just going to rip the hat off of my head and send me packing." Shaye looked over at the woman in green sitting at the teacher's table. 

"That's Professor McGonagall," Hermione said and it was quickly becoming apparent that she seemed to know everything there was to know about Hogwarts. "She's Gryffindor's head of house. Apparently she's an Animagus." 

This, surprisingly, was something that Shaye actually knew about. "That means she can turn into an animal, right?" 

Hermione nodded. 

Turning to the Prefect sitting beside himself, one of Ron's older brothers, Harry pointed at one of the teachers who was sitting beside a man in purple robes and a purple turban. "Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, that's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house," Percy said, identifying the man with shoulder-length black hair.

"What's he teach?" Harry asked.

"Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrell's job for years."

Just then, as Ron reached for what was probably his fourth chicken leg, a ghost popped out of the table and he let out a loud, high-pitched scream. "Hello!" the ghost with an interesting mustache and dated clothing smiled. "How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor."

Seconds later the entire Great Hall was filled with ghosts, all of them colourless and transparent and all of them emerging from the walls and floorboards. 

"Hello, Sir Nicholas." Percy greeted the ghost that had popped out of the table. "Have a nice summer?"

"Dismal. Once again, my request to join the Headless Hunt has been denied." the ghost, Sir Nicholas, answered. 

Ron's face lit up. "I know you. You're Nearly Headless Nick."

"I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don't mind."

"'Nearly' headless?" Hermione cocked a quizzical brow. "How can you be nearly headless?"

"Like this." Sir Nicholas grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged on his head, which swung almost all the way off of his neck, barely attached by a small amount of skin that worked like a hinge. Ron let out another scream at the sight of the inside of Sir Nicholas' neck.

Without another word, the ghost swung his head back into place and floated off, allowing the students of Gryffindor house to finish their dinner, which was followed by a lovely selection of desserts. 

After finishing her meal and grabbing a piece of delicious apple pie, Shaye was as full as she had been in a long while. Once the feast had ended, Dumbledore dismissed the Great Hall and the Prefects from each house led the students to their common rooms.

"This is the most direct path to the dormitories." Percy paused at the end of the hall to allow everyone to catch up, but everyone was more focused on the moving staircases behind him than what he was actually saying. "Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change. Keep up, please, and follow me."

Leading the Gryffindor's up to their common room, which Hermione had stated was located in the towers of the castle, Percy struggled to keep the students moving as they passed a stairwell full of paintings; which wouldn't have been so distracting if the people in the paintings weren't moving around and waving at the passersby. 

Eventually, Percy managed to round everyone up again and get them to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, where a painting of a large woman in a frilly pink dress was hung on the wall. 

"Password?" the woman asked.

"Caput Draconis," Percy said and the painting swung open to reveal a small passageway.

The inside of the Gryffindor common room was just as amazing as Hermione has explained it the entire way through the castle. The walls were covered in red wallpaper, the room was decorated with comfortable armchairs and tables for doing school work and a fireplace with a crackling fire made the entire place feel like a cozy cabin.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room," Percy told the first-years as they took in everything they could. "Boys' dormitory is upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up."

As soon as Percy was done with his little speech, Shaye and Hermione ventured into the girls' dormitory for the evening—stomach's full and ready to get some much-needed sleep—while Harry and Ron went to the boys' dormitory.

Just as promised, Shaye found her belongings and Erwin's cage already waiting for her at one of the many beds. Much too tired to put her things away right then, Shaye gave Erwin a few scratches on his soft red feathers before setting him aside on her bedside table and crawling under the sheets like the other girls.

"I'm glad the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor," Hermione said as she looked at Shaye from the next bed over. "I think we're going to be really good friends."

"Me too." Shaye agreed and shut her eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep full of dreams about maroon trains, chocolate frogs, talking hats and magnificent castles. 


	5. So Much to Remember, So Much to Forget

When Shaye woke up the next morning—the morning of her first full day at Hogwarts—the first thing she did was wander over to the window that overlooked the rest of the castle and the school grounds. With the darkness of the night and all of the excitement, Shaye hadn't really been able to take in everything the evening before. Now, however, with the morning sun shining bright, she could see the courtyard, the lake, the Quidditch pitch and the forest. It was spectacular.

For a while, Shaye just admired the view from her tower dormitory. When the other girls began to stir and get ready for classes, she did the same. 

"Good morning." Hermione smiled sleepily, rolling out of bed and gathering her books. "Do you have Transfiguration first?"

Shaye nodded as she pulled her red Gryffindor robes on, struggling with the red and gold tie for a few moments before finally securing a decent knot. "Yup, with McGonagall."

"Perfect! We can walk together."

"Sounds good. I'll meet you in the common room."

Loading her book bag full of the books and various supplies she would be needing for the day, Shaye checked and double-checked that she had everything before packing away the rest of her things in the trunk at the foot of her bed. As she lifted the old, worn wooden lid, Shaye felt a groove on the underside with her fingers.

Curious, Shaye bent down to take a look. Beside the metal latch on the underside of the lid, the letters **HC** had been engraved crudely, obviously by hand and not by magic. Unsure of what the initials stood for, Shaye shrugged it off and stuffed her belongings inside the trunk quickly so she could meet Hermione and head to her first class of the day.

The inside of the Transfiguration classroom was bright and beautiful; completely unlike any normal classroom that Shaye had ever been in before. There were three lines of desks, with each desk seating two people. Excitedly, Hermione grabbed Shaye's wrist and dragged her up toward one of the desks closest to the front desk and chalkboard, which displayed words and symbols unknown to Shaye and probably everyone else.

Once the class had taken their seats and the large double doors had shut, a grey and black cat slinked down the aisle and jumped up onto the desk, where it sat, watching the room. Unsure of what to do, Shaye and Hermione pulled out their Transfiguration books and waited for the class to begin.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked, noticing their absence. 

Before Shaye could say anything, the large doors burst open and the two boys ran through, clearly late and out of breath from running. Hermione shook her head in disapproval and Shaye chuckled.

"Made it!" Ron exhaled, peering around the room but seeing no teacher. "Can you imagine the look on McGonagall's face if we were late?"

It was then that the cat leapt off of the desk, and in mid-air, transformed into McGonagall herself. McGonagall, with her brown hair pulled into a tight bun, glasses perched on the brim of her nose and green robes flowing behind her, approached the two latecomers. The looks on Harry's and Ron's faces were priceless.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

"Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley." McGonagall looked down at the boys. "Perhaps it would be more useful if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocket-watch. That way, one of you might be on time."

Harry swallowed hard. "We got lost."

"Then perhaps a map?" McGonagall suggested. "I trust you don't need one to find your seats."

Without saying another word, the boys sat down in the last empty desk at the front of the room and McGonagall began the first Transfiguration lesson of the school year, which was more or less just a simple introduction to the subject, since the children were first-years, after all. 

Throughout the day, classroom by classroom, professor by professor, Shaye, Hermione, Harry and Ron were introduced to the subjects that they would be taking, learning, and eventually (and hopefully) mastering during their seven years at Hogwarts.

Most of the classes were pretty much what Shaye had expected, both from reading about them by herself and hearing a full history from Hermione. The one exception, however, was potions.

The dimly lit classroom that sat on the same level as the dungeons and near the Slytherin common room was slightly smaller than the rest and gave off some very sinister vibes. Shaye was unsure if it was the many jars of weird substances on the shelves or the anticipation of waiting for Professor Snape that was making her feel uneasy, but either way, she opted to focus on the smoking cauldron in front of herself on the workbench and try not to think about it too hard.

When the door slammed open and Snape strode in with his black robes trailing behind, however, Shaye wasn't the only student that jumped a little.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class." Snape walked so quickly to the front of the room that the candle flames flickered when he passed. "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition . . . I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death." his eyes slowly drifted toward Harry, who was busy taking notes. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention."

Noticing that Snape had stopped talking and that all eyes were on him, Harry placed his quill into the ink bottle and folded his hands on top of the desk. 

"Mr. Potter." Snape looked at him the same way he had been during the welcome feast the night before. "Our new celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand shot up instantly, but Harry shook his head, unable to answer the question. Shaye was too busy watching what was going on between Snape and Harry to even bother trying to recall if she knew the answer or not.

"You don't know?" Snape asked. "Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione raised her hand again and just like before, Harry was none-the-wiser. "I don't know, sir," Harry answered honestly. 

Shaye realized that she didn't know the answer either and began to wonder if it was normal to not know the answer on the first day or if everyone was supposed to have done as much preparation as Hermione had.

Snape didn't seem shocked in the slightest that Harry didn't know the answer. "And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he asked one final question.

Harry looked over at Hermione, who looked like she might explode if she weren't called on soon, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."

"Pity," Snape muttered. "Clearly, fame isn't everything . . . is it, Mr. Potter?"

"Clearly, Hermione knows," Harry said. "Seems a pity not to ask her."

A few kids snickered a little at that remark, but Snape shut that down immediately. "Silence," he ordered and stalked over to the desk where Harry, Hermione, Shaye and Ron were sitting. "Put your hand down, you silly girl," he told Hermione before pulling up a chair and sitting directly opposite from Harry. "For your information, Potter . . . asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Dead. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well . . . why aren't you all copying this down?"

All at once, the students reached for their quills and began to frantically write down as much of what they remembered from Snape's speech as possible. With that, Snape returned to the front of the room and sat down at his desk. 

"And Gryffindors, note that five points will be taken from your house for your classmate's cheek," Snape said, glaring at Harry once more.

Looking over, Shaye could tell that Harry was embarrassed, but whether it was for not knowing the answers or losing house points or both, she didn't know. "I didn't know the answers either," she told him, hoping to cheer him up a bit. 

"Thanks," he whispered, catching Draco and the other Slytherins laughing out of the corner of his eye.

═══════════════

Pushing around the food on her plate, Shaye closed her eyes and tried to think of anything that wasn't magic-related. While the first week at Hogwarts had definitely been exciting, what with making new friends and exploring the castle, the lessons were also so packed with new material to learn that Shaye's brain was constantly trying to remember the last spell McGonagall had taught them about or how to stay one step ahead of Snape so she was always ready for his questions.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water into rum." Seamus recited as he waved his wand at the goblet in front of him. A few heads at the Gryffindor table turned to look at him, but for the most part, everyone was busy with their own school work.

"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Harry asked.

"Turn it to rum," Ron answered. "Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before-"

And just like that, Ron was cut off by a loud explosion and flash of light. Hermione jumped at the noise as the kids around Seamus laughed at his singed hair and smoking goblet. 

Shaye chuckled slightly. "No matter how many times he does that, it still startles me a little."

"Have you managed to turn water into rum yet?" Hermione asked. 

Harry and Ron shook their heads but Shaye nodded. "I did it once in class but I haven't been able to recreate it again," she said.

"No surprise there," Ron smirked. "My brother said your sister was really good at Transfiguration."

"Your brother knew my sister?" Shaye questioned, slightly shocked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, my brother Charlie. He was a year below your sister, so I guess it's more accurate to say that he knew _of_ her than actually knew her. When all the news came about your sister disappearing and joining the Death Eaters he said he wasn't surprised, considering the stuff she and her friends used to get up to."

"Oh." Shaye wasn't sure what to say to that. She knew that it was unreasonable to hope that there weren't a lot of people who knew about what had happened to her sister, but she hadn't expected one of her friends to know _this_ much. 

" _Ronald_." Hermione snapped. "Can't you see that this topic is obviously very sensitive for Shaye? Honestly, have some common sense."

Shaye shook her head, ready to tell everyone that it was okay and that she couldn't ask everyone not to talk about it when she herself was so curious about the matter, but before she could, the familiar sound of an owl hooting echoed through the Great Hall.

"Mail's here." Ron looked up at the many owls soaring into the room through the openings in the ceiling, glad that he didn't have to be chewed out by Hermione anymore. 

One by one, the owls began to drop packages and letters to the students below. Almost everyone at the table, except for Harry, got some sort of mail from their parents. Seeing as it was the first week, a lot of first-years were getting postage from their nervous parents.

"Can I borrow this?" Harry picked up the weekly issue of the Daily Prophet that Ron's family owl had dropped and Ron nodded, clearly uninterested in it. "Thanks."

Opening the small letter that Erwin had dropped, Shaye opened it and was unsurprised to read that her parents had pretty much just written a two-page letter saying that they missed her and that they were proud of her for getting into Gryffindor. Even though it was nothing special, Shaye was still happy to hear from her parents. Even she had to admit that she missed them, too.

"Hey, look! Neville's got a Remembrall." Dean pointed to the round, transparent sphere in Neville's hands. 

"I've read about those," Hermione said. "When the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something."

Almost on cue, the ball filled with bright red smoke. Neville stared at it for a few seconds before sighing. "The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten."

"Your robes!" Shaye laughed, noticing that among the sea of students wearing their black robes, Neville was only wearing his grey sweater. 

Looking down at himself, Neville sighed once more. "You're right. Thanks." He stood up and headed back in the direction of the common room to grab his robes.

"Hey, guys, somebody broke into Gringotts. Listen." Harry pointed to the page of the Daily Prophet that he had been reading. "'Believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had, in fact, been emptied earlier that very same day.'"

"Why would somebody break into an empty vault?" Ron asked.

"Well, obviously, they didn't think it was going to be empty." Shaye pointed out. "Only, what they had been hoping to steal had been taken before they got there."

Harry's eyes widened with realization. "That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to."

"Well, what did he take out of the vault?" Shaye asked.

Harry shrugged as the group of four gathered their things and got ready to head out for flying lessons with Madam Hooch. "I don't know," he said. "It was wrapped up. I couldn't see it. All I know is that it was small and all alone in that vault."

"Whatever it is, it's none of our business," Hermione spoke up. "Now hurry up or we're going to be late."

Meeting on the patch of grass used for flying lessons, Shaye and the other students lined up in lines of thirteen, facing each other with a broom in front of each of them. "Good afternoon, class." Madam Hooch greeted as she strode down the middle of the two lines and faced the students. 

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch." the class replied in unison, eager to start flying.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson." Madam Hooch smiled, her yellow eyes glinting in the sunlight. "Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, 'up.'"

Together, the students did as they were told and before long, twenty-six different voices were calling 'up' to their brooms. While most students, as normal, had to ask a few times before their broom came to them, Harry had barely uttered the two-letter word for the first time before the broom shot up into his waiting hand.

Draco was the next one to have the broom obey his command and then after that, it was a steady trickle of students, one after the other. Shaye managed to get her broom into her hand around the tenth try, where Ron and Hermione were having a little bit of a harder time. While Hermione was growing frustrated with her un-moving broom, Ron had just been smacking in the face with his. 

Harry couldn't help but laugh, and even though his nose was red and obviously in pain, Ron smirked as well. "Shut up, Harry." he chuckled.

Once everyone had managed to call their brooms, Hermione being one of the last ones (finally, there was something she wasn't instantly good at), Madam Hooch continued with the lesson. "Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight. You don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle. Three, two . . ."

As soon as Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Neville began to float up into the air, seemingly not able to control what his broom was doing. Madam Hooch tried to help him land but Neville just kept going higher and higher until suddenly, he took off. 

Shaye and the others watched in awe as Neville flew farther and farther away from the rest of the class. As entertaining as the spectacle was, it would have been way cooler if Neville hadn't been screaming the whole time, clearly terrified.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Madam Hooch shouted. "Come back down this instant!"

Neville's broom zigzagged back and forth and did a few twists before finally crashing head-on into the side of the castle. The broom then went into a nosedive toward the ground but pulled up at the last moment and zoomed through the crowd, nearly taking out a few students who were slower at jumping out of the way. Neville continued to cry out of help as the broom shot up one last time and flew over one of the many statues on the roof of the castle, where Neville's robes got caught on the spear the stone man was holding and was yanked off of his broom.

Everyone gasped as they ran over to where Neville was hanging, the class staring up at him as he swayed back and forth. "Maybe I shouldn't have reminded him about his robes," Shaye said.

It was then that Neville's robes ripped and he fell onto the grass. Taking a step back, everyone winced as Neville shouted out, this time in pain and not fear.

"Everyone out of the way!" Madam Hooch rushed to Neville's aid. Slowly, she helped him up. "Oh, dear, it's a broken wrist. Poor boy. Come on now, up you get." she then turned to the rest of the class. "Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, 'Quidditch.'"

As Madam Hooch ushered Neville off toward the hospital wing, Draco began to snicker. "Did you see his face?" he picked Neville's Remembrall up from the ground where it had fallen out of his pocket and smirked. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to land on his fat arse."

A few of the students chuckled, but Harry and the others didn't. "Give it here, Malfoy," Harry demanded.

"No." Draco refused. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find." With that, Draco mounted his broom and took off, holding the Remembrall out at Harry, tauntingly. "How about on the roof? What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?"

Furrowing his brows, Harry swung his leg over his broom and got ready to go after the blonde boy from Slytherin. "Harry, no way!" Hermione tried to stop him. "You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you don't even know how to fly."

Ignoring the warning, Harry took off anyway, and despite Hermione's accusation, he seemed to know how to fly better than the average first-year; or, at least better than Neville.

"What an idiot." Hermione huffed.

Flying up to where Draco was idling in the air, tossing the magical sphere up before catching it again, Harry glared at him. "Give it here, Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom."

"Is that so?" Draco smirked, and as Harry lunged for the Remembrall, he dodged him. "Have it your way, then." 

With a sly chuckle, Draco threw the ball as hard and as far as he could. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Harry flew after it, determined to catch it before it hit something and broke.

Shaye and Hermione tensed up as they watched Harry speed toward the castle, and just when it seemed like he was going to crash right through a window, he caught the Remembrall in his hand and stopped himself inches away from the glass, completely unaware that that window had belonged to McGonagall's office and that she had just witnessed his daring stunt.

As Harry returned to the ground, the class crowded around him, cheering after just watching his amazing flying skills. The celebration was cut short, however, when McGonagall emerged from the castle. "Harry Potter!" she called. "Follow me."

The smiles and laughter immediately disappeared. "Good luck, Harry," Shaye whispered as he pushed his way through the crowd and followed McGonagall back into the school.

Draco and his minions were chuckling, obviously having thought—just like everyone else—that Harry was in trouble. What no one knew yet, however, was that Harry was the furthest thing from in trouble.


	6. The Third Floor Corridor

By that very afternoon, word had spread throughout the whole of Hogwarts that Harry had been selected as the Gryffindor Quidditch team's new Seeker. Everywhere Shaye looked, people were talking about it. In fact, people were even coming up to her to ask about since she was friends with Harry.

For once, it felt good to have strangers coming up to her to ask about something that didn't have to do with her sister.

"Seeker?" Ron gushed as he, Harry and Shaye emerged from their last class of the day. "But first-years never make their house teams. You must be the youngest Quidditch player in-"

"-a century, according to McGonagall," Harry stated proudly.

All of a sudden, Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, who were two years ahead of Shaye, Harry and Ron, came up behind the trio. "Hey, well done, Harry. Wood's just told us." one of them said, but Shaye couldn't be sure which one it was.

"Fred and George are on the team too," Ron said. "Beaters."

"Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad." Fred, or maybe it was George, said. "Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch."

"Brutal." the other one added. "But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally."

"But they'll turn up in a month or two."

As Shaye, Harry and Ron turned into the courtyard, separating from the twins, Harry's face started to turn pale from the terrifying things he had just been told by Fred and George.

"Oh, go on, Harry." Ron encouraged him. "Quidditch is great. Best game there is, and you'll be great too."

"Ron's right." Shaye agreed. "You should at least give it a try."

Harry nodded slowly. "But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself," Hermione said as she jumped up off of the bench where she had been studying and joined the group. "It's in your blood."

When Harry's eyes narrowed in confusion, unsure of what Hermione was talking about, she led the three inside to one of the many Quidditch trophy cases. With a smile on her face, Hermione pointed to one of the plaques of a past Gryffindor Quidditch team that read, **Seeker, James Potter.**

"Wow!" Ron gasped. "Harry, you never told me that your father was a Seeker too."

Harry shook his head. "I didn't know."

"Now you definitely have to do it!" Shaye smiled as the group of four exited the corridor and started up a flight of stairs.

"I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do," Ron said to Harry, referring to Hermione.

"Who doesn't?" Harry retorted fairly. 

All of a sudden, the staircase lurched to the side and Shaye gripped onto the railing hard. "What's happening?" she asked, having been too spooked to remember that the stairs switched landings every so often.

"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione reminded her.

When the staircase stopped at another landing, Shaye finally released her death-grip on the railing. "Oh, right." she breathed out.

"Let's go this way." Harry stepped onto the unknown landing. "Before the staircase moves again."

Taking the lead, Harry slowly opened the door that the staircase had taken them to and the four students stepped into a dark and very abandoned-looking corridor. All of the lights were out and the ceiling, walls and statues were covered in dust and cobwebs.

This was the one place that gave Shaye the creeps more than Snape's Potions classroom.

"Does anybody feel like we shouldn't be here?" Ron asked, his voice shaky. 

"We're not supposed to be here," Hermione confirmed. "This is the third floor. It's forbidden."

Just then, one of the torches suddenly came to life, the pile of ashes bursting into flames out of nowhere. As the four turned to leave, a cat stood between them and the doorway, blocking their exit. With red eyes, the cat glared up at them and let out a meow that echoed through the empty corridor.

"It's Filch's cat." Hermione started to back away. "Run!"

As Shaye and the other three sprinted down the corridor, the torches lit up one by one as they passed them, bringing an ominous orange and red glow to the otherwise dark and dusty floor.

"Quick, let's hide through that door!" Harry pointed at the door at the end of the hall, but when he tried to pull it open, the door wouldn't budge. "It's locked!" he grumbled.

"That's it." Ron squeaked. "We're done for."

"Oh, move over!" Hermione pushed Harry out of the way and pointed her wand at the lock on the door. " _Alohomora_ ," she said and the door swung open.

Without another word, the four scurried inside the room and closed the door behind themselves, hoping to avoid being caught by Filch.

"Alohomora?" Ron asked, clearly never having heard of the spell before.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Standard Book of Spells, chapter seven."

Opening the door just a crack, Shaye watched as Filch walked into the corridor, taking a look around with his lantern before leaving with his cat following closely behind. "Filch is gone," she told the others.

"Probably thinks this door's locked." Ron pointed out.

"It _was_ locked." Hermione reminded him.

"And for good reason." Harry stopped in his tracks and pointed into the middle of the room where a huge three-headed dog was beginning to stir from the slumber that it had just been woken from.

As the dog rose to its feet, all three heads growling and baring teeth at the students, the group of four let out a blood-curdling scream at the same time before sprinting back out of the room and forcing the door closed once more.

With the locked door shaking on its hinges from the beast trying to fight its way out, Shaye and the others ran as fast as they could out of that corridor, suddenly more aware as to why the corridor was forbidden in the first place than they had ever hoped to be.

"What do they think they're doing?" Ron panicked as they ran back to the Gryffindor common room. "Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school."

"You don't use your eyes, do you?" Hermione quipped as they passed the crackling fire and empty armchairs. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

Ron shook his head. "I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice. There were three!"

"It was standing on a trap door." Hermione enlighted her three confused friends as they climbed the stairs up to the dormitories. "Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked.

"That's right." Hermione nodded. "Now, if you two don't mind, Shaye and I are going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled."

With that, Hermione disappeared into the girls' dormitory. "She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron said, and as he and Harry headed for the other door, Shaye followed Hermione.

Tiptoeing through the quiet dormitory, careful not to wake the girls who were already sleeping, Shaye made her way to her bed, changed out of her robes, and climbed under the covers. 

Hermione, who had previously had her eyes closed, now seemed wide awake. "What do you think that thing was guarding?" she asked, her voice low enough that only she and Shaye could hear.

Shaye thought for a moment. "Well, it's got to be something important. But what I don't get is, why would they keep something like that in a school full of curious children? I mean, surely we weren't the first ones to wander into the third-floor corridor."

"That's a good point." Hermione agreed. "Hey, what if it has something to do with . . . your sister?"

Shaye bit down on her bottom lip. "Oh, um . . ."

"I'm sorry." Hermione apologized. "I know you don't like to talk about her. But aren't you curious about what happened?"

"I know what happened." Shaye lied. "She was put in Slytherin, she went bad and she joined the Dark side."

Hermione took a quick look around to make sure no one was awake. "That's what everyone says happened, but I can tell you don't believe it. And frankly, neither do I."

"You don't?"

"Nope. Once I found out who you were, I did some reading. The so-called 'facts' just don't add up. There has to be something more. Something that someone knows but isn't saying or something that no one knows. Either way, it's got me thinking."

Shaye smiled. For the first time in her life, she had met someone who wasn't so willing to believe the first thing they read or heard about her sister. For the first time, she had met someone who thought the same way that she did. 

"Thanks, Hermione," Shaye whispered. "I just wish I had something to go off of . . . somewhere to start."

"Well, I'm here to help," Hermione said. "And I promise I won't tell the boys. Not unless you want me to."

Shaye's smiled faded a bit. "I don't think Harry knows much about it but Ron seems to believe the same thing everyone else does . . . and whatever his brother Charlie told him."

"Well, then, consider this our little secret." Hermione gushed. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! We better get a good night's sleep."

"Okay." Shaye rolled over but didn't close her eyes just yet. Instead, she glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist and thought about the last time she had seen her sister: giving a curt wave over her shoulder before disappearing onto the Hogwarts Express. Five months later she went missing. 

But now, with the help of Hermione, maybe Shaye could find out what really happened to her sister. 


	7. Sheer Dumb Luck

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make things fly." the charms instructor, Professor Flitwick said; his stature so short that he had to stand on a pile of books so that the entire class could see and hear him. "Do you have your feathers? Good. Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. The swish and flick. Everyone."

Reaching for her wand, just like the rest of the class, Shaye repeated the words, "The swish and flick," while making the same movement with her wrist.

"Good." Flitwick smiled. "Oh, and enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go, then."

While the class got to work at practicing the levitation spell they had just been taught, Hermione turned to Shaye and used the many voices around to muffle her own. "Have you thought of anything that we could use to start looking for your sister?" she asked.

Shaye shook her head. "No. I keep trying to think of something that might be a clue but I just can't seem to come up with anything."

"Well, that's okay," Hermione whispered and leaned in close, causing Shaye to do the same. "Because I think I've got an idea."

"Really?" Shaye had to struggle to keep her voice down through her surge of excitement. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you after class."

Shaye nodded. "Good thinking. We should probably start practicing."

At the same time, Shaye and Hermione sat up straight again in their chairs, just in time to catch a glimpse of Ron thrashing his wand around, his face scrunched up in frustration at the feather that lay on the desk in front of him.

"No, stop." Hermione grabbed his hand before he could hurt himself or someone else. "You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's _Leviosa_ , not _Leviosar_."

"You do it then if you're so clever." Ron huffed. "Go on."

Picking up her wand, Hermione flicked and swished her wand at her feather. " _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," she said and the feather immediately floated up into the air, high above the desks.

The whole class stopped what they were doing to watch Hermione's feather, which was the only one that had even managed to lift off from the tabletop, let alone float almost all the way up to the ceiling.

"Well done!" Flitwick praised. "See here, everyone, Miss Granger's done it. Splendid. Well done, dear."

It was then that a loud explosion and flash of light filled the room, and by that point in the school year, the students didn't even have to ask who had caused the ruckus. All heads turned to Seamus, whose hair was frizzy, face was covered in black soot and his feather was smoking, much like his goblet had done when he had attempted to turn water into rum.

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, professor." Harry blinked slowly, the side of his face slightly black as well since he had been Seamus' partner and had been so close to the blast.

The class let out a series of chuckles, but before long the mess had been cleaned up and Professor Flitwick had gotten everyone back on task. By the end of the lesson, Shaye had managed to get her feather to levitate, but it was nowhere near as high as Hermione's had been. Like usual, she was the star pupil.

As soon as class was dismissed, Shaye met Hermione in the courtyard to listen to her plan, which in usual Hermione fashion, was brilliant.

"What's your idea?" Shaye asked as she followed Hermione's lead, trying to ignore the looks they were getting from Harry and Ron as they snuck off together.

"It came to me when I remembered what Ron had said about your sister in the Great Hall the other day. I honestly don't know why I didn't think of it sooner." Hermione started, her pace so fast through the halls that Shaye had to jog to keep up. "Remember when Ron mentioned that his brother Charlie said your sister was so good at Transfiguration? Well, I think a good place to start would be to ask the Transfiguration Professor. If your sister was one of her best students, she is bound to remember _something_ about her."

"Professor McGonagall!" Shaye exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Hermione. Why didn't I think of that?"

Hermione just smiled and shrugged. "You would have. I just thought of it first . . . I tend to do that a lot."

While the rest of the students were busying bustling to their next lesson, Shaye and Hermione were heading in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom, where they hoped they would be able to talk to McGonagall. Thankfully, just as they had hoped, the professor was sitting at her desk grading papers when the two girls walked in.

Hearing the footfalls on the floor, McGonagall looked up from her work. "Miss Frazier. Miss Granger. Aren't you two supposed to be heading to Herbology right now?"

"Yes, ma'am." Hermione nodded. "Only, we wondered if we could ask you something first."

McGonagall peered at the girls from behind her spectacles for a moment before nodding. "Very well. What can I help you with?"

Stepping back a little, Hermione gestured for Shaye to take the floor. Shaye gripped her books tight to her chest, unsure of what to say. "Well, Professor McGonagall, I was wondering if you knew my sister Lorelei. Apparently, she was very good at Transfiguration and if there is anything you could tell me about her, I would be very grateful."

McGonagall was silent as she thought and for a moment, it seemed as though she might send the girls on their way without a single word on the subject. But then, she spoke. "Your sister was very good at Transfiguration, indeed. One of the most talented students I have had in a long while," she said. "But I'm afraid there isn't very much I can offer you about your sister, and if it's her disappearance you are searching for answers about, I am even less help. Lorelei was a gifted student but she was very private. She only ever spoke to one person, her best friend."

"Hattie Carter," Shaye recalled the name.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, a student from my very own house. We always encourage the kids to make friends with those in other houses, but it is so rare we see such a strong bond; especially between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor."

It was then that McGonagall stood and walked over to the bookshelf adjacent to her desk. She prodded a few book spines before finding the one she was looking for and pulling it out. "While I'm afraid that is all the information I have on the matter, perhaps this will help." she handed the old book to Shaye. "In your sister's sixth year at Hogwarts, she won an award for excellent achievement in Transfiguration and inside this book, along with all of the other students who won awards, there is an interview she did. Maybe it will help."

Shaye looked at the cover of the book and wiped away the dust to reveal the Hogwarts insignia and bold words that read, **1988 Students of Excellent Achievement**. "Thank you, professor." Shaye smiled, over the moon that she had made as much progress as she had, even if it wasn't all that much, to begin with.

"You are welcome, Miss Frazier." McGonagall nodded. "I hope it assists you with whatever you are looking for. I'll see you two at the Halloween feast tonight, I hope?"

Nearly bubbling over with joy, the two girls nodded and turned on their heels to exited the classroom. Without communicating it to each other and without worrying about missing their next class (which was surprising for Hermione), they set off in the direction of the library. Once seated at a table in the quietest corner of the room, Shaye flipped open the book and began searching for the page dedicated to her sister.

Finally, the familiar face of Lorelei came to life in one of the pictures and Shaye stopped turning the pages. Among the few photos that had been picked out for the piece, Shaye immediately recognized the one that sat right above the article; it was the same photo of Lorelei and Hattie standing in front of the blooming tree. They were laughing and smiling; a never-ending loop of pure joy.

"I miss seeing her smile and hearing her laugh." Shaye sighed before reading the small blurb of the interview out loud, which was noticeably much shorter than any of the others had been. "'When asked how she handles the academic stress of maintaining the top spot in her Transfiguration class, Lorelei simply stated that she, 'owed it all to her best friend, Hattie Carter, who reminded her every day that she had the strength to push through and prove everyone else wrong.' Miss Frazier declined to answer any more questions.'"

"Well, that was kind of anticlimactic." Hermione slumped her shoulders. "I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was definitely more than that."

Shaye failed to hide her disappointment as well. "Yeah, I was hoping there would be a little more to go off of."

Determined to find something in the relative nothing, the girls poured over the interview time and time again and even went through the rest of the book, looking for any other mention of Lorelei Frazier. They had spent so long in the library that the sun had set and their only source of light was the small lantern sitting in the middle of the table that had magically caught flame as soon as the natural light from the windows had vanished. They were definitely missing the feast.

Just when Shaye was beginning to believe that she had hit a dead-end, something clicked in her mind as she skimmed over her sister's interview one last time. "Wait a minute . . . Hattie Carter." she turned to Hermione. "HC!"

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Yeah?"

"When I was packing away my things into my trunk on the first day of classes I saw the initials HC carved into the wood." Shaye grabbed the book and dragged Hermione with her as she scurried out of the library. "What if the initials stand for Hattie Carter? What if I have the same trunk and bed that Hattie used while she was here?"

"She was a Gryffindor," Hermione said. "It fits."

"Exactly!" Shaye was so busy explaining her thought process to Hermione that she wasn't even looking where she was going; she was just letting her feet take her back to the common room. "What if it wasn't just an empty trunk when I put my things inside? What if there is some sort of clue?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, it's worth a shot I guess. But I don't know if-"

Hermione's sentence was cut off by a loud _thud_ that shook the floor and the paintings on the walls. Swallowing hard, Shaye looked around, but there was no one else in sight; everyone else was in the Great Hall for the Halloween feast.

"Ugh, Hermione." Shaye tried to locate the cause of the loud noise. "What was that?"

Before Hermione could answer, another _thud_ rattled the corridor. Then another and another. "Let's just get out of here as fast as we can," Hermione suggested, but as the two girls rounded the next corner they came face to face with the source of the loud, floor-shaking sounds.

Looming over the two girls, with grey skin, long arms, a small head and thick body was a mountain troll. Shaye had seen pictures of trolls in her textbooks but never before had she witnessed one in real life. Through the overwhelming fear, she noticed that the defining feature of the troll, which was sort of overshadowed in the books, was just how _ugly_ it was.

With a booming roar, the troll picked up the large club it had been dragging behind itself and swung it down hard at the girls, narrowly missing them both as they dived out of the way with shrill shrieks and sped in the other direction, Shaye dropping the book along the way.

Unsure of where to go and quickly approaching a dead end, Shaye took a sharp right into the girls' bathroom and prayed that the troll was too stupid to follow them in (somehow, through all of the adrenaline, she remembered reading that mountain trolls were incredibly unintelligent.)

Rushing into one of the wooden stalls, the girls hid and hoped that they were safe. They were not. With a single swing, the troll smashed its club through the upper halves of the stalls, sending chunks of wood flying through the air and knocking Shaye and Hermione to the ground.

Hearing the bathroom door open again, the girls looked over hoping to see that a teacher had come to their rescue. It was only Harry and Ron, however, and while that was still better than nothing, it wasn't exactly ideal.

"Hermione, Shaye, move!" Harry yelled, and as Shaye and Hermione crawled out from under the piles of wood, the troll destroyed the remaining stalls as well, causing even more damage and chaos.

"Hey, pea-brain!" Ron shouted as he and Harry started throwing pieces of wood at the troll's head, trying to distract it so Shaye and Hermione could escape.

Thankfully, the stunt worked, and while the troll was eyeing up the boys, Shaye and Hermione crawled along the bathroom floor and hid under the sinks. When they looked back up, however, the troll was staring down at them once more.

Hermione let out another scream as she pulled Shaye out of the way, the two of them just barely getting out of the way before the troll smashed the ceramic sinks with its club, sending streams of water flooding out of the pipes.

"Help!" Shaye called.

Pulling his wand out, Harry rushed for the troll and grabbed hold of its club on the backswing, using the momentum to lift himself up onto the troll's shoulders. It was a brave move because as soon as Harry had landed on the beast, it was fully preoccupied with trying to throw him like a bucking bronco.

In the struggle to hold on for dear life, Harry accidentally ended up sticking his wand up the troll's nose, which caused it to sneeze and freak out even more. Harry grabbed hold of the troll's large, protruding ears as hard as he could before the troll grabbed him by the leg and held him upside down.

"Do something!" Harry's face began to turn red as the blood rushed to his head, narrowly avoiding being hit with the club.

Ron looked around for something that might help. "What?" he asked.

"Anything!" Harry dodged again. "Hurry up!"

As Ron pulled out his wand, ready to cast a spell, Hermione demonstrated the technique taught in class that day. "Swish and flick." she reminded him.

" _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," Ron recited the spell perfectly that time and the club floated up and out of the troll's hand, floated in the air for a few seconds and dropped back down onto the troll's head, knocking it out.

As the troll stumbled to the ground, it dropped Harry in the process. Scooching across the bathroom floor, Harry managed to get out of the way just in time to avoid being landed on. With the troll motionless on the ground, Shaye and Hermione slowly emerged from their hiding spot, their robes soaked from the water and covered in dust.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so. Just knocked out," Harry said as he bent over and pulled his wand from the troll's nose, which was now covered in thick, grey slime. "Ugh. Troll bogeys."

It was then that McGonagall, Quirrell and Snape rushed into the bathroom. McGonagall gasped at the sight of the troll and clutched her chest. "Oh, my goodness." she looked at Harry and Ron. "Explain yourselves, both of you!"

Before either of the boys could say anything, Hermione spoke up. "It was our fault, Professor McGonagall." she threw herself and Shaye under the bus to protect the boys that had just saved their lives.

"Miss Granger? Miss Frazier?" McGonagall questioned.

Shaye nodded. "She's right. We were in the library reading that book you gave us and lost track of time. Before we knew it, we had missed the feast. We were heading back to the common room when . . ."

"If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found us, we'd probably be dead." Hermione finished.

"Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing not to keep track of time." McGonagall scolded the girls. "I would have expected more attention to detail on your parts and am disappointed in you two. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor." she then turned to look at Harry and Ron. "As for you two gentlemen . . . I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first-year students could take on a fully-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points . . . will be awarded to each of you for sheer dumb luck."

With that, McGonagall turned and walked out of the bathroom, Snape following behind quickly, but not quick enough for Shaye and Harry to miss the rip in his pants and bleeding wound on his leg.

"Perhaps you ought to go." Professor Quirrell ushered the four students out. "It might wake up."


	8. Things That Ought Not to be Meddled in

Taking a sip of her orange juice, Shaye watched as Harry pushed the food on his plate around with his fork. Since sitting down for breakfast that morning, he hadn't eaten a single thing, obviously too nervous about his first Quidditch game later that day to put anything into his stomach.

"Take a bit of toast, mate." Ron tried to encourage him to eat something. "Go on."

"Ron's right, Harry." Hermione agreed. "You're gonna need your strength today."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Just then, Snape came walking through the Great Hall and stopped next to Harry, which usually meant he was in trouble. "Good luck today, Potter." Snape surprised everyone with his kind words, even if it was obvious that they were forced and tasted awful on his tongue. "Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you. Even if it is against Slytherin."

Then, without another word, he strode off with a very noticeable limp. "That explains the blood," Harry said.

"Blood?" Hermione asked.

"You saw it too?" Shaye turned to Harry. "The wound on Snape's leg last night?"

Harry nodded before filling Hermione and Ron in on what he was thinking. "Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three-headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping."

Hermione scrunched up her face in confusion. "But why would anyone go near that dog?"

"The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults," Harry said. "Said it was Hogwarts business, very secret."

"So you're saying-" Hermione started.

"-that's what the dog's guarding," Harry concluded. "That's what Snape wants."

Before either one of them could come up with another theory as to how everything odd going on at Hogwarts fit together, a snowy owl soared into the Great Hall and dropped a large, broom-shaped package into Harry's hands.

"Bit early for mail, isn't it?" Hermione commented as Harry pushed some of the plates out of the way so he could lay the large delivery down on the table.

Harry shrugged. "But I never get mail."

"Let's open it," Ron suggested, eager to see what Harry had gotten.

Together, the four friends worked at untying the twine and pulling the brown paper wrapping away to find out what Harry had been sent. As soon as the shiny new broomstick was revealed, Harry's eyes lit up.

"It's a broomstick." Harry gasped.

"That's not just a broomstick, Harry." Ron eyed the present with an awestricken look on his face. "It's a Nimbus 2000!"

Harry furrowed his brows. "But who . . .?" he started, but when he heard the familiar hoot of an owl and looked over toward the teacher's table to see Professor McGonagall smiling and stroking the same snowy owl that had delivered his gift, his question was answered.

Harry smiled back and gave a thankful nod. 

Before Harry had gotten a chance to really take in the thoughtful present he had been given, Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch team's captain, was tapping him on the shoulder and telling him it was time to go and change. 

With a hasty goodbye, Harry grabbed his Nimbus 2000 and jogged to catch up with the rest of the team. Half an hour or so later, the rest of Hogwarts started heading down to the Quidditch pitch to take their seats. The Gryffindor versus Slytherin match was due to start soon and those who had caught wind of Harry's addition to the team were excited to see him play his first game.

Trailing a little behind Ron, who was so busy spitting out random facts about Quidditch that he didn't even notice they weren't paying attention to him, Shaye and Hermione kept their voices low as they discussed the events of the previous night.

"Do you think we should go over the book again?" Hermione asked in a hushed whisper.

Shaye shook her head. "We can't. When we ran into the troll I dropped the book in the hallway. When we left the bathroom afterward, it was gone. One of the teachers must have taken it."

"Maybe McGonagall recognized it on the ground and picked it up for us," Hermione suggested. "We could always ask her and see if she could give it back."

"There's no use," Shaye said. "If there was anything useful to be found in there, we would have found it. Besides the initials, I think we got everything that book had to offer."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Did you check your trunk at least? Did you find anything?"

Shaye's face fell, defeated. "No. When we got back to the dormitory I pulled all of my things out and checked, but I didn't find anything. No more carvings in the wood, no nothing. Just the HC on the underside of the lid. It was probably a longshot anyway."

"At least we tried." Hermione smiled. "We'll think of something else."

It was then, when Ron had asked a question and received no answer, that he realized the girls weren't listening to him. "Hey, what are you two whispering about back there?" he slowed down and fell into pace beside them.

"Nothing," Shaye told him.

This only made Ron more curious. "Come on, we're friends. You can tell me."

"Fine." Hermione rolled her eyes and for a second, Shaye thought she was actually going to tell him. But she didn't. "We were talking about the complex moral issues surrounding the enslavement of house-elves and how they-"

"Boring!" Ron faked a yawn. "Nevermind. Forget I asked."

With that, Ron bolted ahead and up the creaky wooden stairs into the Gryffindor stands. Shaye smiled, impressed with Hermione's fake-out. "Good thinking," she said.

"I have plenty of topics to use if he asks what we are talking about." Hermione gushed. "I actually took out a bunch of books from the library so I could study fake subjects that would bore him to death. It was actually really fun."

Shaye laughed. "What would I do without you?"

By the time Shaye and Hermione found their seats in the stands beside Ron, the Gryffindor team was just flying onto the pitch, with Harry following right behind Oliver Wood. The Slytherin team appeared soon after and suddenly the air was full of flashes of red and green as the players zoomed past.

 _"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season."_ the Quidditch commentator, Lee Jordon, spoke through the microphone for all to hear. _"Today's game, Slytherin versus Gryffindor!"_

The stands went wild with cheering. Students dressed from head to toe in their team of choice's colours waved their hands in the air and screamed in excitement. Even Hagrid, who had somehow maneuvered his large frame up the narrow flight of stairs, was cheering along in the stands with the Gryffindor students.

When it came time for the game to begin, the players formed a circle in the air and waited for Madam Hooch, who was below them on the ground, to release the balls.

_"The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game!"_

Stepping up to the shaking box in the middle of the field, Madam Hooch, who was dressed in her black and white referee robes, looked up at the two teams. "Now, I want a nice, clean game from all of you!" With that, she kicked the box and the lid popped open, releasing the Bludgers and the Snitch.

_"The Bludgers are up, followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The Seeker who catches the snitch ends the game."_

Picking out the Quaffle from the box, Madam Hooch waited a few seconds before tossing it up into the air and officially beginning the match.

_"The Quaffle is released and the game begins!"_

One of the Gryffindor Chasers was first to grab the Quaffle and dart in the direction of the three Slytherin hoops, and after dodging a Bludger and weaving in and out of the Slytherin players, she tossed the Quaffle through one of the hoops and scored the first goal of the game.

_"Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points for Gryffindor!"_

Shaye cheered loudly along with the other Gryffindors, over the moon to see their team in the lead and even more so to see Harry still perched upon his broomstick and not lying on the ground with a Bludger mark on his face or something.

_"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint."_

The Slytherin Captain kicked Angelina Johnson out of the way before advancing on the Gryffindor hoops and throwing the Quaffle, but Oliver Wood, the Captain and Keeper, swooped in out of nowhere and blocked the shot. The Gryffindor stands went wild.

Minutes later, Gryffindor scored again, making the score twenty to zero. Oliver Wood blocked yet another shot. As the minutes passed, the Slytherin team became more desperate and aggressive. 

Stealing the bat from one of his team's Beaters, Marcus Flint smacked an oncoming Bludger right into Oliver Wood, sending him flying back through the hoop he was guarding and down into the sand below. The crowd gasped and booed.

With the Gryffindor Keeper lying motionless on the ground, the Slytherin team scored and before long, another Gryffindor player was out of commission. Pushed into the stands, Angelina Johnson fell off of her broom and landed hard in the gravel on the sides of the pitch.

"This can't be fair!" Shaye shrieked. "How is this legal?!"

"Quidditch is a rough game." Ron shrugged. "This kind of stuff happens all the time."

Seconds later, the Slytherin team scored again, evening out the score. Just when all hope seemed to be lost, Harry spotted something and began darting around the air, clearly chasing after whatever he had seen.

"I think Harry's seen the Snitch!" Ron exclaimed, but when everyone turned their attention to Harry, he was doing the furthest thing from catching anything.

Floating in the middle of the pitch, Harry was holding onto his broom tightly as it twitched wildly, seemingly trying to throw him off. The broom zigzagged and spun and it was obvious that Harry was no longer in control.

"What going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid asked.

Using her binoculars, Hermione looked up at Harry before turning her attention to the stands on the opposite side of the pitch. Standing among some of the other professors, Snape was staring at Harry and muttering non-stop under his breath. 

"It's Snape," Hermione said. "He's jinxing the broom."

"What do we do?" Shaye and Ron asked at the same time.

Handing over her binoculars, Hermione headed for the stairs. "Leave it to me," she said before taking off.

Everyone watched as Harry struggled to stay on his broom, but after a particularly violent jerk, the inanimate object actually managed to throw its rider. Now hanging on for dear life, Harry was dangling in mid-air.

Just when it seemed like Harry was going to join his other teammates in plummeting to the ground, whatever Hermione had set out to do had worked because across the pitch, Snape had just realized his robes were on fire and had stopped muttering to put them out.

Almost instantly, Harry's broom stopped jerking about and he was finally able to climb back up on to it. Seconds later, the Golden Snitch whipped past his head and he took off after it.

Knocking the Slytherin Seeker out of the way, Harry dove toward the ground after the Snitch, just barely pulling up in time to avoid smacking face-first into the grass. Now speeding less than a meter off of the ground, Harry slowly stood up on his broom and reached out for the Snitch. 

Leaning forward just a bit, Harry threw the balance off and the tip of the broom snagged on the ground, sending Harry flipping forward and onto the ground. The crowd gasped once more and as Harry stood up and began to retch, everyone prepared to watch him throw up all over the grass. When he opened his mouth, however, it wasn't vomit that came out, but the Golden Snitch.

Harry had caught the Golden Snitch in his mouth.

_"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!"_

Flying to the middle of the field, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, indicating that the game was over. "Gryffindor wins!" she announced and every student dressed in scarlet and gold began cheering. Hagrid was grinning wide and McGonagall was laughing happily.

By the time Harry had finished receiving praise from his team and the other Gryffindors and many of the professors, the sun was beginning to set by the time he was ready to leave the Quidditch pitch. 

Offering to walk the group of four back to the castle, Hagrid had been quickly informed of Snape's antics during the game. He was having a tough time believing it though. 

"Nonsense!" Hagrid disagreed. "Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?"

"Who knows?" Harry shrugged. "Why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween?"

Hagrid did a double-take. "Who told you about Fluffy?"

"Fluffy?" Ron repeated the unsuitable name for such a monstrous creature. 

"That thing has a name?" Hermione asked.

"And its name is _Fluffy_?" Shaye clarified.

"Of course he's got a name," Hagrid said. "He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the . . ."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Yes?"

"Shouldn't have said that." Hagrid caught himself. "No more questions! Don't ask any more questions. That's top-secret, that is."

"But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it," Harry told him.

"Codswallop." Hagrid scoffed. "Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher."

"Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a spell when I see one," Hermione said. "I've read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking."

Harry nodded. "Exactly."

Hagrid paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "Now, you listen to me, all four of you. You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

"Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked.

Hagrid's mouth dropped open. "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that." And with that, he walked away before he spilled any more secrets to the four nosey kids.

"Nicholas Flamel," Harry repeated the name. "Who's Nicholas Flamel?"

Everyone turned to Hermione, but for once, she shook her head, unable to answer. "I don't know," she admitted. 

And just like that, there was a new mystery on the table to keep the four busy; and hopefully, it would serve as a distraction to the fact that Shaye and Hermione had come up empty-handed in their search for clues about Lorelei. 


	9. A Happy Holiday,  Indeed

Christmas had arrived so quickly at Hogwarts that it seemed one day the grass was still swaying with the gentle morning breeze and the next the grounds were covered in a layer of crisp white snow and Hagrid was dragging in large pine trees to decorate the Great Hall with.

Most students were planning to return home for the holidays, and Shaye assumed she was no exception. She had so been looking forward to seeing her family again and telling them all about her first few months at Hogwarts. There was only one day left until the Hogwarts Express would be departing for King's Cross Station and Shaye had every reason to be on it . . . until she didn't.

Reaching into her trunk for the last of her books—which she was packing to take home with her so she could study over the break (Hermione had warned her one too many times about falling behind)—Shaye had almost emptied the wooden trunk when she noticed a stray quill at the bottom and bent down to grab it. In the struggle of holding the books in one hand and reaching for the quill with the other, the books began to wobble in her arm and before she knew it the whole pile was tumbling back into the trunk.

Normally, Shaye would have let out a groan of frustration and continued packing, but something had caught her attention. When the books had fallen into the trunk and hit the bottom, the noise they made was slightly . . . _off_. The bottom sounded hollow.

It was such a minute detail that Shaye was sure if she had been even a little bit distracted she would have missed it, but she wasn't, so she didn't. 

Picking the books back up and out of the trunk, along with the quill, Shaye set them aside on the floor and gave the bottom of the trunk a knock. It was definitely hollow. Shaye's excitement began to rise as she searched for a way to pry the wooden board up. After a few seconds of searching, she spotted a small notch and was just able to get her fingernail underneath it. The board was hard to lift—probably on account of it not being moved in a while—but eventually, Shaye had removed it to reveal a false bottom. Inside was a single piece of folded paper.

Looking around to make sure the dormitory was still empty, Shaye picked up the paper and carefully unfolded it. At first, she was unsure what she was looking at, and if it hadn't been for the labelled areas such as The Great Hall and the library, she was sure she never would have figured out that it was a crude map of Hogwarts. 

On the map, in red ink, was a drawn-out path that started at the Slytherin common room and ended in some seemingly random corridor on the fourth floor. 

When Shaye flipped the map over, she saw that there was a note written on the back.

**To HC,**

**This is the hidden hiding place. Please keep it safe for me.**

**LF**

Shaye let out an involuntary gasp and she immediately tucked the note into her pocket for safekeeping. This was clearly something that Hattie had been keeping secure for Lorelei, but what was it, exactly? 

Suddenly, going home for the holidays was the last thing Shaye wanted to do. How could she possibly wait a whole two weeks to figure out what this map led to? She finally had a solid lead tied to her sister and by Merlin's beard, she was going to follow it. 

═══════════════

Hearing a pair of suitcase wheels dragging along the floor, Shaye looked up from her seat in the Great Hall where she was watching Harry and Ron play wizard's chess and saw Hermione approaching them, bags in hand and ready to leave for the holidays.

As Hermione joined the three, Ron sent his Queen to E5 and the red chess piece came to life, knocking Harry's Knight over with its chair. 

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione noted.

"That's wizard's chess," Ron told her as he eyed her suitcase. "I see you've packed."

Hermione nodded. "I see you haven't."

"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie," Ron said. "He's studying dragons there."

"Good." Hermione smiled. "You can help Harry, then. He's going to go and look in the library for information on Nicholas Flamel."

Ron groaned. "We've looked a hundred times."

"Not in the restricted section." Hermione lowered her voice. 

"Fine," Ron muttered before turning to Shaye. "And what about you? I thought you were going home for Christmas."

"I was but I, ugh . . . I decided to stay and help you guys." Shaye lied. She and Hermione had discussed the note found in the bottom of the trunk and Shaye had decided to stay at Hogwarts and search while Hermione went home and tried to find out anything she could about a room to hide things in at Hogwarts.

Ron smiled. "That's nice of you. How did you get your parents to let you stay?"

"I convinced them I was too sick to come home for the holidays," Shaye answered. "Spent all yesterday afternoon in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey breathing down my neck just so I could get a sick note to send to them."

"But what about seeing your family?" Harry asked. 

For Harry, since his home life was such a tricky situation and he would give anything to spend just one day with a loving family, he didn't understand why anyone would want to miss spending the holidays with loved ones. For Shaye, Ron and Hermione, however, a loving family was something they took for granted. 

"I'm definitely going to miss seeing my parents," Shaye said. "But the rest of my family goes absolutely looney during the holidays. A year without my great uncle Bert singing horrible mash-up versions of carols after he's had too much to drink sounds like a gift in and of itself."

The four of them let out a chuckle before Hermione wished everyone a 'happy Christmas' and left with the majority of the other students.

As soon as Hermione was out of earshot, Ron smirked. "Restricted section?" he scoffed. "I think we've had a bad influence on her."

And so began Christmas at Hogwarts. Shaye had expected it to be a little lonely feeling, but with daily visits down at Hagrid's hut for some warm tea by the fire, the castle practically to themselves and the ghosts singing cheery carols wherever they went, Shaye was soon beginning to think that this might be one of the best Christmases ever.

Plus, with her mind so preoccupied with the map and whoever this Nicholas Flamel person was, she barely had time to miss home.

When Shaye woke up bright and early on Christmas morning to the sound of Ron shouting for her and Harry to come down into the common room, she pulled her slippers on, grabbed two presents that she had wrapped the night before and raced out of her dormitory. 

Waiting in the common room by the roaring fire and Christmas tree was Ron, who was dawning a brown knitted sweater with a large yellow R on the front. Ron had mentioned the sweaters that he got from his mother every year, so Shaye didn't even ask about it.

"Happy Christmas." Ron smiled when Harry and Shaye had joined him.

"Happy Christmas." Shaye and Harry replied in unison.

Ron pulled at the neck of his sweater, indicating that it was a tad itchy, and gestured to a lumpy present under the tree. "Hope you like it, Harry," he said, "because it looks like Mum made you one too."

Harry's face lit up brighter than the Christmas lights. "I've got presents?" he beamed. 

"Yeah." Ron nodded and pointed to the pile of gifts that were all labelled for Harry. "There they are."

Ron, who had already opened all of his presents, plopped down on the couch with a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans to watch his friends open their gifts.

"Wait, before you open anything else." Shaye pulled out two small gifts from her pocket and handed one to Ron and one to Harry. "Happy Christmas."

Excited, Ron tore open the wrapping in the blink of an eye to reveal the Agrippa card that Shaye had talked about giving him at the very start of the year. "Whoa!" Ron grinned. "Thanks a bunch, Shaye! This is awesome."

Harry opened his next and after taking a few seconds longer than Ron, because he was more careful with the wrapping, he smiled wide at the broom care kit he had gotten. "Now I can keep my Nimbus in great condition without having to use those dirty rags in the broom shed!" Harry exclaimed. "Thanks, Shaye."

With that, Shaye and Harry got to opening their presents. Shaye, whose parents had sent her gifts to the school since she was 'too sick to come home', had received a brand new set of robes (since Erwin had somehow nibbled a hole in her old ones), an enchanted locket that when opened showed a photo of her whole family and said in her parents' voices that they loved her (which was very sweet but also a little embarrassing) and a box of various candies (both muggle and wizard.)

As Harry sat down to open his last gift, Shaye joined Ron on the couch with her own candy and watched. Plucking the card from the top of the package, Harry read it aloud. "'Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.'"

Ron and Shaye just shrugged when Harry looked up at them quizically. Not knowing who it was from, Harry set the card aside and opened the present, which turned out to be what looked like a shimmering black blanket or something.

"What is it?" Shaye asked.

Standing up, Harry held it out in front of himself. "Some kind of cloak," he answered.

"Well, let's see, then," said Ron, eager to see Harry wearing it. "Put it on."

Doing as requested, Harry swung the cloak over his shoulders and wrapped it around his body, which when under said cloak, promptly disappeared. In seconds, Harry was nothing more than a floating head.

"Whoa!" Ron gasped and set his box of jellybeans down.

Harry's eyes grew wide when he looked down at himself for the first time. "My body's gone!" he panicked.

"I know what that is," Ron said. "That's an invisibility cloak!"

"That's awesome!" Shaye couldn't believe her eyes.

"I'm invisible?" Harry double-checked that his body really was missing from sight. 

Ron nodded and picked up the note that had been attached. "They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you."

"There was no name," Harry told him. "It just said, 'Use it well.'"

As soon as Ron suggested using the cloak to sneak into the restricted section in the library, an idea popped into Shaye's head. Ever since the majority of the students had left for home, she had been trying to find the perfect time to follow the map she had found in her trunk. Unfortunately, there never seemed to be a perfect time.

Despite the school being emptier than ever, except for the summer, of course, the diligence on the teachers' part and general activity of other entities had somehow increased. During the days the hallways were full of ghosts, using the empty castle to their advantage so they could move around freely without being badgered by curious older students or shrieked at by scared first-years. During the evenings, Argus Filch was prowling the corridors with his cat, chomping at the bit to catch a student out of bed and dish out a punishment fit for the worst of Azkaban's prisoners. 

No matter when or how Shaye tried, she couldn't even get down to the Slytherin common room in the dungeons, where the path on the map started. She supposed she could have just gone straight to the ending spot on the fourth floor, but she was afraid she might miss something along the way if she skipped any steps.

Now, however, maybe Harry would be nice enough to lend his invisibility cloak to Shaye for one evening; and thanks to Ron's suggestion, she had the perfect excuse. 

Once or twice Shaye had toyed with the idea of letting Harry and Ron in on her and Hermione's little mission, but she was afraid that if she didn't have any concrete evidence that the boys would simply laugh at her as others had in the past when she expressed her thoughts about her sister.

Shaye knew she wouldn't keep this a secret from Harry and Ron forever; it was just about finding the right time to tell them. 


	10. The Hidden Hiding Place

"Shaye, wake up!" there was a loud banging on the dormitory door. Shaye startled awake and could hear Harry and Ron shouting for her. Thankfully, she was the only Gryffindor girl who had stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays, so no one else was being woken up by this ruckus.

Jumping out of bed, afraid that something terrible had happened while Harry had been using his invisibility cloak in the library's restricted section, she threw the dormitory door open to find out what was going on.

"There's something you've got to see." Harry seemed in a panic as he started down the steps into the common room. "The both of you! Come on!"

Ron, who seemed just as groggy and confused as Shaye was, shrugged and led the way after Harry. Together, the three huddled underneath the invisibility cloak and Harry took them out of the common room, down the hall, up a flight of steps, and into a different room that Shaye had never been inside before.

As soon as the door was closed, Harry ripped off the cloak. They were in what looked like an unused classroom with desks and chairs piled against the walls. In the middle of the room sat a large mirror, which seemed to be the focus of Harry's sudden enthusiasm.

"Come look, it's my parents." Harry rushed to stand in front of the mirror, but Shaye didn't see what Harry was talking about. Standing beside Harry and Ron, the only thing staring back at her in the reflection was the three of them.

"I only see us," Ron said.

"Look in properly." Harry stood to the side, pulling Shaye with him so that Ron was the only one in front of the mirror. "Go on, stand there."

Once Ron was alone in front of the mirror, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Clearly, he was seeing something that he had not been able to before. 

"There." Harry smiled. "You see them, don't you?"

"Is it really Harry's parents?" Shaye asked because from where she was standing, she only saw Ron in the reflection.

"That's me!" Ron exclaimed, seeing something different than Harry had. "Only I'm head boy. And I'm holding the Quidditch Cup. And bloody hell! I'm Quidditch Captain too! I look good. Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "How can it? Both my parents are dead."

"Let me see." Shaye pushed Ron out of the way and took a turn in front of the mirror. Instantly, she saw what she had been most hoping to see. Standing beside her was Lorelei, only, the two were separated somehow. There seemed to be a barrier between them. 

Shaye wasn't sure what it meant. Why did this mirror show something different to everyone? What did it mean?

After a while longer of looking, the three slipped back under the cloak and returned to their common room. Ron was over the moon about what he had seen in the mirror's reflection but Harry and Shaye were more confused than anything. 

═══════════════

Walking into the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast, her head swirling with the image of her and her sister that she had seen in the mirror, Shaye spotted Harry sitting alone in front of the large fireplace and decided to join him. 

On her way, she passed by Ron and the other Weasleys, who were all sitting together dawning the same brown knitted sweater with their initial on the front. As if their flaming red hair didn't make it obvious that they were all family, this just completed the Christmas package.

"Good morning, Ron." Shaye greeted as she walked past the table. 

"Good morning, Ron's friend." the twins greeted in unison.

Ron's mouth was too full of food to speak, so instead, he settled on a smile and a wave. 

Sitting down on the tabletop next to Harry, who was wearing the blue sweater with a yellow H on it that Ron's mother had made for him, Shaye flashed a warm smile and relished in the heat radiating off of the orange flames of the crackling fire.

Ron joined the two shortly after, determined to try and cheer his friend up. "Wanna play chess?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "No."

"Wanna go and visit Hagrid?"

"No."

"Harry, I know what you're thinking, but don't," Ron told him. "There's something not right about that mirror."

Harry nodded slowly and Ron returned to the table with his brothers. "I think it's okay to want to see them again," Shaye said. "I want to see my sister again too. Even if it's not real . . . it feels real for a little while."

"I know I shouldn't go back," Harry admitted. "But I can't stop thinking about it."

"I'll go with you if you want." Shaye offered. 

For the first time that morning, Harry smiled. "Thanks, Shaye . . . but I think I'd rather go alone."

"Okay . . . hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could borrow your cloak tomorrow night? I want to try looking in the restricted section one last time."

"Sure."

═══════════════

With Harry's invisibility cloak in one hand and the map from her sister in the other, Shaye crept down the stairs from her dormitory into the common room, careful not to make any noise. While there really wasn't anyone around to worry about waking up, Shaye still knew that Percy, one of the Gryffindor Prefects, wouldn't let her sneak out in the middle of the night in a million years, even if he was Ron's older brother. 

Standing just outside of the fat lady's portrait, Shaye hid under the cloak and adventured out into the hallway. Making her way down to the dungeons, where the map's path began in front of the Slytherin common room, she also kept an eye out for Snape, who Harry had warned liked to patrol the halls at night along with Filch. 

Creeping through the dungeon corridors, barely able to see the map with the dim torch lighting, Shaye eventually made it in front of the Slytherin common room and followed the map away, not wanting to spend any second longer in the dark, cold dungeons than she had to.

Careful to take all the right turns and search for any other clues along the way, Shaye followed the map to a T. She travelled up one flight of steps and then a few more after that. With the cloak shielding her from any and all prying eyes, Shaye was able to focus less on getting caught and more on where the map was taking her.

Before she knew it, Shaye found herself on the fourth floor, standing in a corridor, staring at an empty wall. She had reached the end of the marked pathway and had double-checked along the way to make sure she had taken all of the correct twists and turns, but there was no door in front of her. There was nothing.

Shaye flipped the map over and read the message on the back again. How could this be a hiding place if it was just a plain wall? It didn't even have any paintings on it. Maybe there had once been something here but it had since been moved? Maybe she hadn't followed the map as perfectly as she had thought?

"No," Shaye whispered. Finally, she had found something connected to her sister and somehow, it was a dead-end too. This couldn't be right. 

Removing the invisibility cloak, Shaye started running her hands along the brick wall and knocking here and there. It was a hail mary, but maybe one of the bricks was hollow just as the bottom of the trunk had been. Shaye stood there, walking back and forth and softly knocking for about ten minutes when she heard hushed voices and footsteps coming her way.

Before Shaye had a chance to put the cloak back on and disappear, two boys rounded the corner in a full-on sprint, nearly running Shaye over and trampling her. It was only when one of them grabbed her arm and started dragging her along with them that she spotted the flash of red hair and realized it was Ron's older brothers, Fred and George.

"What are we-?" Shaye started to ask, but before she could get her full question out, a loud cackle echoed through the halls.

"Students out of bed!" Peeves the Poltergeist, Hogwarts' most annoying ghost, shouted as he drifted through the air after the three children.

Shaye's entire body flooded with panic at the thought of being caught out of bed in the middle of the night. What would she say when the teachers asked why she up? Would she have to tell them about the map she found?

Fred and George, however, seemed to be having the time of their lives. They were grinning wide and even shouting taunts at Peeves every once in a while, which only provoked the ghost to follow them longer. 

Eventually, however, the boys had decided they were done with their little game of cat and mouse and ducked into an empty classroom, pulling Shaye along with them. Doubled-over, trying to catch her breath, Shaye watched as Fred and George pressed their ears to the closed door to listen for Peeves. 

After a while of silence, Shaye's lungs didn't burn anymore and she decided it was probably safe to speak. "What are you two doing?" she hissed as she stuffed the map into her pocket.

"We were pulling a prank on Filch," Fred answered.

"Only, Peeves had the same idea," George added. "He's not too keen on us trying to take over his title as Hogwarts' biggest prankster."

Shaye rolled her eyes. "Oh, makes perfect sense."

"It does, actually." Fred retorted. "So what are you doing up so late? Hmm?"

George took a step closer. "It's against the rules, you know?"

"I know. And it's none of your business what I was doing." she huffed before a stark realization washed over her. "Please don't tell Ron you saw me."

"Don't worry," George smirked. "We don't tell Ron anything."

"Good." Shaye nodded. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way."

Before she could open the classroom door, however, Fred snatched the invisibility cloak out of her hand. "What's this?" he asked. 

"It's Harry's in-" Shaye stopped herself before she said anything more. "It's just a cloak. It's Harry's cloak. He let me borrow it."

"Pretty fancy cloak for a simple walk around the castle." George took the cloak from his brother and inspected the fabric, taking note of how it sparkled in the moonlight shining in through the window. 

"I don't know why you two are so interested in what _I'm_ doing and what _I'm_ wearing when you should be more worried about what's going to happen when Filch finds out you've pranked him." Shaye grabbed the cloak back. "I heard him bragging about a new punishment method he had just discovered. I'm sure he can't wait to find someone . . . or in your case, _someones_ . . . to try it out on."

The twins scoffed. "Filch never catches us." Fred laughed. "We're just too good."

"Sure . . ." Shaye tucked the cloak under her arm and opened the door. "Whatever you say."

With that, Shaye left the mischievous twins to their pranking and headed back down the hallway. When she reached the empty space of wall again where the map had led to, she gave it one final glance before deciding that there was nothing there for her and heading back to the common room.

Maybe the map was wrong or maybe she was wrong, but either way, whatever Shaye had been hoping to find was clearly long gone. The hidden hiding place was simply just a little too hidden for Shaye to find, apparently. 

When Shaye returned to her dormitory she set the cloak aside so she could give it back to Harry in the morning and discarded the map back into her trunk where it slid between two books and down to the bottom. 

Instead of being a clue, the old piece of paper was now just a cruel reminder that Shaye would never be able to find her sister. 

Shaye thought back to the mirror Harry had shown her and Ron. Harry, who had visited the mirror one last time the night before, had informed them that it was called the Mirror of Erised and that it showed the onlooker's deepest desires. Dumbledore, of course, had told all of this to Harry. He also explained that the mirror was going to be moved somewhere else, meaning that Harry would never be able to see his parents again and Shaye might never be able to see her sister again.

Shaye wondered how being with her sister but separated by a barrier was her deepest desire, but before she could dwell too much on it, she pushed it from her mind. 

Feeling defeated, Shaye climbed into bed and hoped that in the coming days and with Hermione's return, they would all be able to figure out who Nicholas Flamel was and what the three-headed dog was guarding. Hopefully, not all mysteries would end before they even really began.


	11. Answers Around Every Corner

Flipping the page in the Charms textbook that she was reading through, Shaye looked up from the words on the page and blinked a few times, giving her tired eyes a break. Beside her, Hermione was going over some homework and across the table, Harry was doing the same. Ron, however, was sorting through his wizard card collection. He hadn't even glanced at an assignment in hours.

It had been a few months since the holidays and Shaye hadn't thought about the map or her sister much in the meantime. Similarly, after Hermione had returned to school empty-handed, the four friends had sort of given up on finding out who Nicholas Flamel was. They had been so swamped with classes and homework that they barely had time for anything else anyway.

As Harry's owl Hedwig swooped down from the rafters and landed on a pile of books on the table, Harry looked up from his book as well. "Hi, Hedwig." he greeted.

Hermione smiled at the snowy owl before narrowing her eyes at Ron. "Look at you, playing with your cards. Pathetic!" she scolded him. "We've got final exams coming up soon."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm ready. Ask me any question."

"Alright, what are the three most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness potion?"

Ron's confident smirk faded fast. "I forgot."

"And what, may I ask, do you plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?"

"Copy off you."

"No, you won't." Hermione scowled. "Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell."

Ron gasped. "That's insulting! It's as if they don't trust us!"

Shaye and Harry shared an amused look. "More like they don't trust _you_ ," Shaye said matter-of-factly and Harry and Hermione cracked a smile.

"Oh, _ha-ha_ , very funny." Ron opened a new Chocolate Frog box and sighed at the card inside. "Dumbledore again!"

Hearing a few muffled laughs, the group of four looked over to see Neville hopping into the Great Hall, his legs seemingly stuck together. "Leg-Locker Curse?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy," Harry said as Neville joined them at the table. 

"You have got to start standing up to people, Neville," Ron told him, looking a little sad for the poor kid. Neville was always getting picked on; especially by Draco and his goons.

Neville whimpered. "How? I can barely stand at all."

Jumping to his feet with a wide grin on his face, Seamus grabbed for his wand. "I'll do the countercurse." he offered.

"No, that's all I need!" Neville refused as he wobbled back and forth, struggling to keep his balance. "You to set my bloody kneecaps on fire!"

Seamus' face turned red with anger and he slammed his wand back down onto the tabletop. "I don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom!" he said. "Besides, if anyone cared to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!"

With that, Seamus gathered his things and stormed off, revealing a bald patch on the back of his head. Even Hermione had to stifle a laugh.

"I found him!" Harry shouted out of nowhere as he held out the Chocolate Frog card of Dumbledore that Ron had just gotten. 

Taking the card from Harry, Ron read aloud what was written on the back. "'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945.'"

"Go on!" Harry encouraged.

"'For the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel!'"

"I knew the name sounded familiar," Harry said. "I read it on the train that day."

Packing up all of her books, Hermione stood from her seat and told the others to follow her, the four of them leaving Neville alone in the Great Hall to figure out a way to countercurse his own legs. 

Unsurprisingly, Hermione led the way to the library and after a few minutes of searching, she returned with a large book that she promptly dropped down onto the table. "I had you looking in the wrong section. How could I be so stupid?" she shook her head. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

Ron's eyes bulged slightly as he eyed the huge book that Hermione was flipping through. "This is light?"

Hermione didn't even bother to answer that. Instead, she focused on finding whatever it was that she was looking for. "Of course! Here it is." she pointed to the page that had the name Nicholas Flamel written on it. "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone."

"The what?" Harry, Ron and Shaye asked in unison. 

"Honestly, don't you read?" Hermione rolled her eyes before returning to the passage in the book. "'The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."

Ron furrowed his brows. "Immortal?"

"It means you'll never die," Shaye explained.

"I know what it means," Ron grumbled before Harry shushed him.

"'The only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday.'" Hermione finished. "That's what Fluffy's guarding on the third floor. That's what's under the trap door. The Philosopher's Stone."

Desperate for more information about Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone, the curious group of four decided to visit the one person who seemed to know everything surrounding this particular mystery: Hagrid. 

That evening, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione snuck out of the castle and ran down to Hagrid's hut. When the giant of a man opened his door to see the four students standing on his doorstep, however, he didn't seem the least bit surprised. 

"Oh, hello." Hagrid greeted with oven mitts on his hands, an apron over his clothes and a slight look of urgency on his face. "Sorry, don't wish to be rude but I'm in no fit state to entertain today."

As Hagrid moved to close the door, the four students shouted, "We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"

That certainly got his attention. "Oh." Hagrid opened the door once more and ushered them inside. 

"We think Snape's trying to steal it," Harry said, wasting no time on filling Hagrid in on their theory.

"Snape?" Hagrid asked. "Blimey, you're not still on about him, are you?"

Removing their black robes, the four sat down on Hagrid's large furniture and made themselves at home. "Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone," Harry said. "We just don't know why."

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone," Hagrid said as his large boarhound dog, Fang, jumped up onto the couch next to Ron. "He's not about to steal it."

The four friends shared a confused look. "What?" Shaye asked.

"You heard." Hagrid shook his head. "Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today."

"Wait a minute. 'One of the teachers'?" Harry questioned. 

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. "There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

Hagrid nodded. "That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me. Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how except for me and Dumbledore." he paused. "I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that."

Just then, a rattling noise came from the fireplace and the pot that Hagrid had placed over the flames was beginning to shake. Reaching into the pot, Hagrid pulled out what looked like a large egg and set it down on his table. 

"Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Harry asked as they all gathered around the mysterious object.

"That? It's, ugh . . ."

Ron's mouth fell open. "I know what that is! But, Hagrid, how did you get one?"

"I won it," Hagrid answered. "Off a stranger I met down at the pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact."

As the egg-shaped object began to wobble and shake, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione all took a step back. Eventually, the exterior began to crack, proving that it wasn't simply an egg- _shaped_ object, it was an actual egg.

All of a sudden, the entire shell cracked open, revealing a lot of steam and more importantly, a baby dragon. The small creature kicked the pieces of shell off of the table before letting out the most adorable sound that Shaye had ever heard in her life.

"Is that . . . a dragon?" Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of it.

"That's not just a dragon," Ron said. "That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother Charlie works with these in Romania."

Hagrid nodded as he began to tear up a little. "Isn't he beautiful?" he swooned as the dragon turned and looked up at him. "Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy. Hello, Norbert."

"Norbert?" Harry repeated the name.

"Yeah, well, he's gotta have a name, don't he?" Hagrid smiled. "Don't you, Norbert?"

Just then, little Norbert let out what sounded like a hiccup and a burst of flames shot out of his mouth, catching Hagrid's beard on fire. Thinking quickly, Hagrid patted out the flames with his oven mitt. 

"Is that thing safe to have?" Shaye asked.

"He'll have to be trained up a bit, of course," Hagrid said with a gentle laugh. Then, his eyes narrowed as something outside caught his attention. "Who's that?"

All at once, everyone turned toward the window where Draco was peeking in. Realizing he had been caught, Draco vanished from sight but it was obvious he was going to tell someone what he had seen.

"Malfoy." Harry sneered.

Hagrid's smile faded. "Oh, dear."

Deciding that the best plan of action was to head back up to the castle as soon as possible, the group of four said goodbye to Hagrid and Norbert and darted through the night. 

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon," Harry said as they hurried through the corridors. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."

"It's crazy," Ron commented. "And worse, Malfoy knows."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't understand. Is that bad?"

"It's bad."

Almost as if on cue—like this particular group of four were destined to get into trouble around every bend—McGonagall emerged from one of the adjacent rooms. The stern professor, who was wearing a green coat and bonnet, looked even angrier with the orange glow of the candlestick she was holding illuminating her face.

"Good evening." McGonagall greeted the students as Draco emerged from behind her, a smug smirk on his face. 

As expected, the group of friends weren't about to get off with a warning. Taken into the classroom from which McGonagall had emerged from, the four students lined up beside one another, ready to receive their punishments.

"Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night." McGonagall scolded. "Therefore, as punishment for your actions, fifty points will be taken."

"Fifty?!" Harry gasped.

"Each," McGonagall added. "And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all five of you will receive detention."

Draco's shit-eating grin was gone in a matter of seconds. "Excuse me, professor, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said the five of us."

"No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall nodded. "You see, honourable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will join your classmates in detention."

Suddenly, that fifty points each didn't sting nearly as much as it had before. Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione all shared an amused look and Draco had finally stopped smirking. 

═══════════════

The following evening, right after the sun had set and the grounds had become engulfed in dark shadows, the dreary group of five headed out of the castle for their detention. And, as if things couldn't get any worse than serving detention with Draco, they were being escorted by Filch, who was just as grumpy as ever.

"A pity they let the old punishments die," Filch grumbled as he led the students down the outdoor path with his lantern. "There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming."

Farther down the path they travelled until Hagrid's hut came into view. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight," Filch said, which made the punishment seem instantly ten times better than whatever Shaye had been imagining. "He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest."

With a loud creak, the hut door swung open and Hagrid stepped out in a large coat, carrying a lantern himself with Fang trailing behind.

"A sorry lot, this, Hagrid." Filch sneered, but Hagrid didn't respond. He seemed to be upset. "Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?"

Picking up his crossbow and bag of bolts, Hagrid sniffled. "Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Hermione asked. "He'll be with his own kind."

"Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all."

"Maybe there will be other baby dragons that he can play with," Shaye suggested in an attempt to cheer Hagrid up, which only half-worked. Hagrid forced a small smile but at the same time, a fresh tear ran down his cheek.

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man." Filch seemed to be physically ill at this display of emotion. "You're going into the Forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you."

Draco's face flushed white—this is, if it was physically possible for him to get any paler. "The Forest? I thought that was a joke. We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are . . ." he paused as a wolf's howl echoed through the night, ". . . werewolves."

Filch grinned wickedly. "There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. Nighty-night."

And with that, Filch sauntered back up the path toward the castle where he would most likely resume his nightly routine of wandering the halls in the hope to get the chance to catch a student out of bed. 

"Right. Let's go." Hagrid led the way with Fang and his crossbow.

Slowly and most definitely reluctantly, the five first-year students followed Hagrid into the Forest. The canopy of trees above made it even darker than the rest of the school's grounds and a low fog hung over the earth, making it hard to see the many logs and tree roots that occupied the Forest's floor. 

Hagrid's lantern provided just enough light for the group to avoid tripping every five seconds, but even that wasn't a complete write-off. 

After nearly falling on her face about five times, Shaye was relieved to see that Hagrid was stopping. Apparently, he had found what he had been looking for because he set his lantern on top of a fallen tree and bent down. 

Stepping closer so she could see, Shaye watched as Hagrid dipped his fingers into a pool of thick, metallic liquid. "Hagrid, what is that?" she asked.

"What we're here for." Hagrid held up the fingers that were coated in the mystery substance. "See that? That's unicorn blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt bad by something. So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me."

"Okay." Ron was just barely able to squeak out the response through the fear circulating in his entire body.

"Harry and Shaye, you'll go with Malfoy." 

Draco ran a hand along his slicked-back, blonde hair. "Okay. Then I get Fang."

"Fine." Hagrid agreed. "Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."

To prove Hagrid's point, Fang let out a loud cry and looked up at Harry and Shaye as if he was expecting them to save him from the scary Forest. 

Before Draco could change his mind about Fang or complain any more, Hagrid declared that it was time to split up and took off with Ron and Hermione. Thankful that she at least had Harry with her, Shaye decided to lead the way in hopes that the faster they started looking, the faster they would locate the injured unicorn and the faster they could get out of that damn Forest.

"You wait till my father hears about this," Draco whined almost as much as Fang. "This is servant's stuff."

Letting out an exasperated huff, Shaye turned and grabbed the lantern that Draco had been carrying out of his hands. "Give me that." she snapped. "You're spending so much time complaining and not enough on keeping up that I can barely see where I'm going."

Harry snickered. "If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared."

"I'm not scared, Potter." Draco scoffed, but as soon as a low moan-like sound came from the darkness, all of his bravery chipped away. "Did you hear that?"

Both Shaye and Harry just shrugged. Whatever it was, there was no sense in worrying about it too much. They had a job to do and the quicker they got it done, the better.

After walking a little farther with Fang following slowly, the trio came upon a clearing where the fog seemed to have dissipated a bit. Reaching the middle of the clearing, Fang stopped in his tracks and let out a growl.

"What is it, Fang?" Harry tried to figure out what the dog was seeing that they weren't. 

As the fog cleared a little more, the trio found out soon enough what Fang had been trying to warn them about. Lying on the ground was the unicorn that they had been looking for, and looming over it was a black figure that hadn't seemed to notice they were there yet.

Letting out a slight hiss of pain, Harry's hand shot up to the scar on his head. Before Shaye could ask what was wrong, the black figure looked up and stared straight at them. Draco let out a scream and after pulling the lantern back out of Shaye's hands, he ran off with Fang chasing after him.

Just like that, it was only Shaye and Harry left in the clearing with the unicorn and the figure, and the figure was quickly approaching them. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be any more than a black cloak because by the way it almost slithered along the ground, there were no legs or even a body visible.

Then, with Draco's screaming in the background and Shaye and Harry backing up as far as they could, the figure suddenly shot up and a shadowed body materialized out of nowhere. Shaye and Harry kept taking steps backwards until they were stopped by the roots of a large tree and had nowhere else to go. They were trapped.

Shaye thought about reaching for her wand but she was pretty sure that as a first-year, she didn't know any spells near powerful enough to fight off something this terrifying.

As the figure closed in on the two children and it seemed like they were going to meet a most unfortunate death—not exactly the way Dumbledore had mentioned at the start of the year but unfortunate nonetheless—the sound of hoofbeats could be heard and suddenly, a half-man, half-horse leapt over the tree roots and scared the figure back into the darkness of the Forest.

Shaye was at a loss for words. Not only had she almost just been killed (most likely), but now she was staring up at a centaur that had just saved her life. "I would have just rathered McGonagall taken 100 points each and spared us the detention." she managed wheezed out.

"Harry Potter and friend, you must leave," the centaur said. "You are known to many creatures here. The Forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you."

"What was that thing you saved us from?" Harry asked.

"A monstrous creature," the centaur answered. "It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure . . . that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life."

"But who would choose such a life?" Shaye questioned.

"Can you think of no one?" the centaur asked, his eyes drifting to Harry.

Harry thought for a moment. "Do you mean to say that thing that killed the unicorn . . . that was drinking its blood . . . that was Voldemort?"

"Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?"

"The Philosopher's Stone."

Seconds later, Fang's barking could be heard and Hagrid ran into view with Ron, Hermione and Draco following him. "Hello there, Firenze." Hagrid greeted the centaur by name, indicating that the two knew each other. "See you've met our young Mr. Potter and Miss. Frazier. You all right there, guys?"

Shaye and Harry nodded. Although being frightened and shaken up, they were otherwise completely fine. 

"Harry Potter and friend, this is where I leave you." the centaur, Firenze, said. "You're safe now. Good luck."

With that, Firenze walked off into the same darkness that the figure had disappeared into minutes before. 

Not wanting to risk the lives of any more students for one night, and since the unicorn had been found (just not in the state Hagrid had hoped), Hagrid promptly called an end to the detention and sent Shaye and the others back up to the castle.

As soon as the five stepped through the doors of the school, Draco split off and marched down the corridor toward the dungeons. Heading up to the towers, the remaining four made a beeline for the Gryffindor common room where they plopped down in front of the fireplace. 

Shaye and Harry promptly unloaded the story of what had happened to them onto Ron and Hermione.

"You mean, You-Know-Who is out there right now in the Forest" Hermione clarified.

Harry nodded. "But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself. He wants the Stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll come back."

Ron placed his shaking hands into his pockets. "But if he comes back . . . you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?"

"I think if he'd had the chance, he would have tried to kill Harry tonight," Shaye said. "And me too, just because he could."

Ron gulped loudly. "And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final."

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing." Hermione spoke up. "Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared? Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore is around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore is around, you can't be touched."


	12. What Awaits Below

Shaye's brain felt as though it had been sucked dry, leaving her barely enough mental functioning to exit the classroom and meet up with her friends. After weeks and weeks of cramming information and answering practice questions from Hermione when she least expected it, Shaye had finally completed her final exams for her first year at Hogwarts.

"I don't know how I'm going to do this six more times." Shaye groaned. "Six more years . . . it feels like it's already been six centuries."

Hermione just shrugged. Somehow, there was a smile on her face. "I'd always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable."

"Speak for yourself," Ron said, his robes hanging off of him lopsided and his tie hanging loosely around his neck. "All right there, Harry?"

Harry, who was clutching his forehead again, winced. "My scar. It keeps burning."

"It's happened before," Hermione pointed out.

Harry shook his head as his face scrunched up with pain. "Not like this."

"Perhaps you should see the nurse," Shaye suggested as the four of them followed the path that led them out of the courtyard and toward Hagrid's hut.

"I think it's a warning. It means danger's coming." Harry said as the beautiful sound of music hit their ears. Following the sound, Hagrid was sitting on his front steps playing a small recorder. "Of course!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione cocked a brow as Harry started to pick up the pace. "What is it?" she asked.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon and a stranger turns up who just happens to have one?" Harry's talking got faster and faster as he continued. "I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pocket? Why didn't I see it before?"

"Why don't I see it now?" Shaye asked, still completely at a loss when it came to understanding what was going on.

Breaking into a run, Harry approached Hagrid quickly and didn't even bother letting him stop playing his recorder before he spoke. "Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg. What did he look like?"

"I don't know, I never saw his face," Hagrid answered. "He kept his hood up."

"This stranger, though. You and he must have talked."

"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him, I said, 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'"

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?"

"Well, of course, he was interested in Fluffy. How often do you come across a three-headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him, I said, "The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him.' Take Fluffy, for example. Just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep." Hagrid's face suddenly flooded with realization. "I shouldn't have told you that."

Before Hagrid could stop the group of four, they turned on their heels and sprinted back up toward the castle. Hagrid called after them, trying to get them to come back, but they were already long gone. 

Unsure of who exactly to go to with this important information, the group instinctively darted into McGonagall's classroom where she was sitting at her desk.

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore." Harry nearly shouted. "Immediately!"

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here," McGonagall informed the four out-of-breath children in front of her. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London."

Harry drew in a deep breath. "He's gone? Now? But this is important! This is about the Philosopher's Stone."

McGonagall was clearly not prepared to hear those words coming out of a first-year student's mouth. "How do you know . . .?" she started.

"Someone's going to try and steal it," Harry said. 

McGonagall dropped the quill she had been holding onto her desk and shook her head. "I don't know how you four found out about the Stone, but I assure you it is perfectly well protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly."

Disappointed that no one ever seemed to believe them, the group of four turned and exited the classroom. 

"Well, that was a bust." Shaye sighed.

"Yeah . . ." Harry looked like he was about to give it all up and forget about it, but then he spoke again. "That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape. Which means he knows how to get past Fluffy."

Hermione nodded. "And with Dumbledore gone-"

"Good afternoon." the familiar slick voice of Professor Snape said from behind them. Slowly, they turned around to face him. "Now, what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?"

"We, ugh . . ." Hermione struggled to come up with an excuse. "We were just . . ."

"You ought to be careful," Snape warned. "People will think you're . . . up to something."

Without another word, Snape glared down at the four of them before turning around and walking back down the corridor, his black robes flowing behind him.

"Now what do we do?" Shaye asked. 

Harry's eyes were set on Snape, watching as he strode away. "We go down the trap door," he stated as if it were the only obvious plan left. "Tonight."

═══════════════

That evening, precisely one hour after curfew when everyone else was either in their common rooms or fast asleep in their dormitories, Shaye and Hermione jumped out of bed, still wearing their clothes from that day, and met up with Harry and Ron.

As they descended the stairs into the common room, a loud croak startled them and the four looked down to see Neville's toad Trevor perched upon the armrest of one of the armchairs.

"Trevor, shh!" Ron tried to shoo the amphibian away. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Neither should you." Neville popped out from behind the armchair. "You're sneaking out again, aren't you?"

"Now, Neville, listen." Harry started to explain. "We were-"

"No, I won't let you!" Neville positioned himself between the group and the portrait hole. "You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again. I'll fight you."

Neville balled his hands into fists and held them up in front of himself, but before he could even take a step forward, Hermione stopped him. "Neville, I'm really sorry about this," she said as she raised her wand. " _Petrificus Totalus._ "

Neville's body instantly froze as if he were a statue and he toppled over onto the carpet. Ron swallowed hard. "You're a little scary sometimes, you know that?" he turned to Hermione. "Brilliant, but scary."

"Let's go." Harry led the way to the portrait hole, the four of them whispering 'sorry' to Neville as they passed.

"It's for your own good, you know," Ron took a moment to look down at the frozen boy before hoisting the invisibility cloak he was carrying over his shoulder and continuing on his way.

Once in the corridor, Ron threw the cloak over everyone and they carefully made their way to the third floor. The four of them just barely fit under the single piece of fabric, but when they moved in unison, the cloak covered their feet and keep them completely hidden.

Just like before, the torches in the corridor came to life when the group of four passed them and when they approached the door at the end of the hall, Hermione cast Alohomora and the lock clicked and the door swung open.

Inside the room, an unmanned harp was sitting in the corner playing peaceful music for the three-headed dog, who was fast asleep in the middle of the room with one of its paws resting atop the trap door.

"Snape's already been here," Harry noted as he pulled the cloak off. "He's put a spell on the harp."

As the four approached the large beast, Ron let out a groan and complained about its horrible breath. Shaye, however, was more focused on what she was looking at rather than what she was smelling.

Working together, Shaye and the others managed to push Fluffy's paw off of the door. Thankfully, the dog stayed asleep, its snoring nearly as loud as the harp music.

Lifting the trap door, Hermione was the first to peer down into the darkness. There was no ladder or anything and it was impossible to see what loomed in the black abyss below. 

"I'll go first." Harry volunteered. "Don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out."

In the fuss of inspecting the door and discussing the plan, the four friends had completely missed the fact that the harp had stopped playing, and as a result, Fluffy had woken up.

"Does it seem a bit quiet to you?" Harry asked as a shadow loomed over him.

Everyone stopped to listen for a second. "The harp." Shaye noticed the lack of music. "It's not playing anymore."

Seconds later, a wad of some sort of thick, white substance dripped down from above and landed on Ron's shoulder. "Yuck!" Ron nearly gagged at the sight of it.

Then, as if realization had washed over them all at the same time, they slowly peered up at the three-headed dog standing over them, now fully awake and as angry as it had ever been. Drool was hanging from each of the three, snarling mouths and the six red, evil eyes were glaring down at them. 

"Jump!" Harry exclaimed and the plan was thrown to the wind.

One by one, the students jumped into the dark hole and prayed that whatever waited for them below was nicer than what had chased them down in the first place. 


	13. Trials and Tribulations

Shaye's screaming filled her own ears as she fell down into the darkness, unsure of where she was going to end up and what would be waiting for her there.

One second, Shaye was falling and falling and the next, she landed on something hard and all the screaming had stopped, both from her and the other three. Looking down, Shaye noticed that all four of them had landed atop what looked like a mass of thick, black vines.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," Ron commented. 

Then, without warning, the vines sprung to life and began to wrap themselves around the limbs and bodies of the four students it had managed to entrap. Shaye felt the snake-like plant wrap itself around her body, squeezing tighter and tighter like a boa constrictor killing its prey.

"Stop moving," Hermione said calmly as if the possibility of being squeezed to death didn't bother her in the slightest. "This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?" Ron blurted out. "Oh, now I can relax!"

Hermione just glared at Ron. To prove her point, she relaxed her entire body and seconds later she was slipping down into the vines until she had disappeared completely. "Hermione!" Shaye, Harry and Ron shouted at the same time.

"Just relax!" Hermione's voice echoed from below. 

"Hermione, where are you?" Harry asked.

"Do what I say! Trust me!"

Knowing that Hermione had never steered her wrong before, Shaye fought against all of her instincts and tried to relax her body the best she could. She thought about a warm, sunny day and reading by the fire and before she knew it, she was slipping down through the vines as well.

Then, all at once, the vines released Shaye and she dropped down below where Hermione was waiting for her in a dark, dingy, vine-infested hallway. Thrilled that she seemed to be fine, Shaye checked her body over for injuries quickly before peering up at the mass that Harry and Ron were still trapped in.

"Trust her!" Shaye encouraged the boys. "Just relax!"

The next to heed Hermione's advice and fall through the vines was Harry, which left a very panicky Ron all by himself. Ron was screaming for help and thrashing about, which only made the vines' grip on him stronger and tighter.

It quickly became apparent that there was no way Ron was going to be able to calm down, so the three who had escaped had to quickly come up with a solution. 

"I remember reading something in Herbology," Hermione said, wracking her brain for the answer. "Devil's Snare . . . Devil's Snare . . ."

Shaye's face lit up as the answer came to her. "Oh, I remember this! You kept quizzing me on it before exams," she told Hermione. "Devil's Snare is deadly fun but will sulk in the sun! Devil's Snare hates sunlight."

"Yes!" Hermione smiled and pulled out her wand. " _Lumus Solem_."

A bright burst of light erupted from Hermione's wand and the Devil's Snare immediately recoiled, releasing Ron in the process and dropping him like it had with the others. Ron hit the ground hard but just like everyone else, he was fine except for a few minor bumps and bruises.

A relived smiled spread across Ron's face as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Lucky we didn't panic," he exhaled.

"Lucky Hermione and Shaye pay attention in Herbology." Harry corrected. 

It was then, when the four had escaped imminent danger, that they heard a noise in the distance that sounded vaguely like flapping bird wings. Following the noise, the group of four ventured down the hall until they came to a large, wooden door. 

With nowhere else to go, Harry opened the door and they entered a large room with a high ceiling that was filled with winged golden keys. The keys were flying about rather slowly and calmly. 

"They're keys," Harry observed as he noticed another wooden door opposite them. "And I'll bet one of them fits that door."

In the middle of the room, suspended in the air but unmoving was an old broomstick. Suddenly, it became obvious what had to be done to complete this next challenge.

"Harry, I think I know what we have to do," Shaye said, but Ron and Hermione were already on their way over to the other door to try Alohamora. 

Just as Shaye had suspected, the spell didn't do any good. "Well, it was worth a try." Ron shrugged sheepishly.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione groaned. "There must be a thousand keys up there."

Shaye rolled her eyes. "Well, as I was saying . . . I think someone needs to climb onto this broom, fly up there and catch the key. The only question is, which key?"

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one," Ron inspected the door. "Probably rusty like the handle."

Harry scanned the sea of keys for a few moments before spotting the one they were looking for. "There! I see it!" he pointed up at a large brown key that flew quite ungracefully when compared to the other keys that were gliding around. "The one with the broken wing."

"Well, all we have to do now is catch it," Shaye concluded. "Harry, you're the best on a broom so I reckon you should do it."

Harry nodded slowly, looking from the broom, to the keys, to the door. Something was clearly on his mind. 

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"It's too simple," he answered.

"Oh, go on, Harry!" Ron encouraged. "If Snape could catch it on that old broomstick, you can. You're the youngest Seeker in a century."

Convinced, Harry gave a nod before grabbing hold of the broomstick. As soon as his hand touched the wooden stick, the keys above started flapping about wildly. While the rusty one with the broken wing zigzagged off, the other keys dive-bombed Harry and swarmed him like angry bats as he climbed onto the broom and took off.

"This complicates things a bit." Ron winced. Harry had been right. It _had_ been too easy.

The golden keys continued to fly around Harry's head as he soared higher and higher into the rafters after the rusty key. Before long, however—thanks to Harry's natural skill on a broomstick—he had captured the old key in his hand and tossed it down to Hermione while the golden keys continued to pursue him.

Hermione struggled with the lock for a few moments but when she finally got it open, she, Shaye and Ron rushed through, holding the door open for Harry who was approaching fast on the broomstick. As soon as Harry had flown through the doorway, Shaye and Hermione pushed the wooden door shut before the other keys could get in.

There was a series of loud _clangs_ that followed as the keys collided with the closed door, but none of them had managed to make it through.

Wiping away the nervous sweat that had accumulated on his forehead, Harry dismounted the broom and the four friends continued on to whatever task they had to pass next.

The quartet soon reached yet another door and when they pulled it open and stepped through, they were greeted with the most confusing and unexpected display either one of them had ever seen. The room was dark and dead silent and in the middle sat a larger than lifesized wizard's chessboard. 

"I don't like this." Hermione's head was on a swivel and they approached the chess pieces that stood taller over them than Hagrid did. "I don't like this at all."

"Where are we?" Harry was having trouble figuring out what the large figures in front of him were in the dark. "A graveyard."

Ron shook his head. "This is no graveyard . . . it's a chessboard."

As soon as Ron said the word 'chessboard', the torches that lined the board flickered to life—much like the ones in the third-floor corridor did—and the chessboard lit up. The ground was made of blue and white marbled checker squares and on each end of the board sat a set of chess pieces. 

"There's the door." Harry pointed at the door that sat on the other side of the opposing chess pieces. When they tried to approach, however, the front row of pawns sprung to life, holding out their swords to stop the students from passing.

"This looks like it's going to be fun." Shaye breathed out. 

When the four backed away, the pawns sheathed their swords again and returned to the crouched positions they had been in originally. 

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked.

For once, Ron looked at Hermione like _she_ was the clueless one. "It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room," he said, taking charge of the situation since he was easily the best chess player among the bunch. "All right. Harry, you take the empty bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the queen-side castle. Shaye, you take the empty rook's square. As for me, I'll be a knight."

Once everyone had taken their positions—Shaye, Harry and Hermione standing in their empty squares and Ron sitting atop the stone horse as the knight—the game was set to begin.

"What happens now?" Hermione looked to Ron.

"Well, white moves first," Ron explained. "And then . . . we play."

Since the opposing team was white, they made the first move. A pawn from the front row slid ahead two squares and just like that, as Ron had put it, it was time to play.

"Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like real wizard's chess, do you?" Hermione winced at her own question, afraid to hear the answer.

Ron shrugged before testing to find out for sure. "You there, D5," he called on one of the pawns and it moved ahead two squares as well, leaving it directly diagonal from the other team's pawn.

The white pawn player came to life once more, drawing its two swords and smashing them through the black pawn, sending pieces of it shattering onto the board in a cloud of smoke and dust.

"Yes, Hermione." Ron gulped. "I think this is gonna be _exactly_ like wizard's chess."

Suddenly, Shaye wished she were lying on the floor of the common room with Neville where it was safe and warm and the possibility of a sword piercing her body wasn't in her near future.

With Ron calling the shots, the game continued. Pieces were being smashed left and right but slowly, they were making their way across the board just like Ron had said they needed to. 

With only a few more moves left before checkmate, the air was thick with smoke and debris and the board was littered with broken chess pieces. As the white queen destroyed the black rook on the board, shattering it completely, Shaye was sincerely grateful that Ron had sent one of the pieces and not her.

Slowly, the white queen turned back toward Shaye and the others and fell still, waiting for Ron to make the next move. It was now or never.

"Wait a minute . . ." Harry's limited knowledge of wizard's chess shone through.

"You understand, right, Harry?" Ron asked. "When I make my move, the queen will take me. Then you're free to check the king."

"No." Harry shook his head. "Ron, no!"

Shaye and Hermione turned to each other, confused. "What is it?" they asked.

"He's going to sacrifice himself," Harry explained.

"No, you can't!" Hermione shouted.

Shaye nodded in agreement. "There must be another way."

"Do you wanna stop Snape from getting that Stone or not?" Ron questioned. "Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me. Not Hermione. Not Shaye. You."

Accepting what had to be done, Harry nodded. 

Gripping onto the stone horse as tightly as he could, Ron drew in a deep breath. "Knight to H3," he said. Ron's chess piece slid forward a few spaces. There was a moment of silence and then he said, "Check."

The white queen turned to the right and slid across the board toward Ron. Then it drew its sword and stabbed right through the horse, sending Ron flying backwards. He landed on the board hard along with the destroyed knight. Shaye, Harry and Hermione waited for him to move or say something, but he didn't. He was knocked out.

Hermione started for Ron but Harry stopped her. "No, don't move!" he shouted. "Don't forget, we're still playing."

Taking his turn, Harry walked slowly toward the white king. "Checkmate," he stated proudly and the king's sword toppled out his its hands and onto the ground. The game was finished. The black team had won.

Once everyone was sure they could move again, they all rushed over to the unconscious Ron and crouched beside him. "Take care of Ron," Harry told Hermione. "Then go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right. I have to go on."

"I'll go with you." Shaye offered. "You shouldn't have to go alone."

Harry hesitated a moment. "I think I have to."

Shaye looked from Harry to Hermione, a decision weighing on her shoulders. She never thought there would ever be a perfect time to come clean about what she and Hermione had been sneaking around to do all year—and when she pictured it in her head, Ron was awake—but for some reason, this moment felt as good as it was ever going to get. 

"Harry, I think I have to, too." Shaye gave Hermione a nod, silently thanking her for keeping quiet all this time. "All year Hermione has been helping me try to uncover what happened to my sister . . . why and how she went missing. That's why we've been whispering behind yours and Ron's back and being so secretive. Only problem is, it didn't do us any good because we didn't find anything. Dead-end after dead-end. I feel like I've failed her. I feel like I've failed myself."

Harry turned to look at Hermione, who nodded, proving what Shaye was saying was true. "You're not a failure," Harry said. "Look at where we are now. We never would have gotten this far without you."

"Thanks, Harry." Shaye forced a smile. "I just . . . feel like I need to finish something, you know?"

Harry nodded understandingly. "I know." he stood up and held out his hand. "We can do it together, then."

"Together." Shaye took Harry's hand and stood to her feet as well.

"You'll be okay." Hermione looked up at her friends. "You're great wizards. Both of you."

Harry shrugged. "Not as good as you."

"Me? Books and cleverness?" she scoffed. "There are more important things. Friendship and bravery. Just be careful."

With that, Shaye and Harry turned toward the final door, leaving Hermione to take care of Ron and get him to safety. 

Beyond the door was a long, dark staircase that led down into what looked like a cave of some sort. Swallowing their fear, Shaye and Harry ventured on one step at a time. When they finally got to the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves standing in a small room surrounded by pillars. 

In the middle of the room sat the Mirror of Erised, and standing in front of the mirror was Professor Quirrell.

Harry hissed in pain and his hand shot up toward his scar. If the burning really was a sign of danger, Shaye wondered what could possibly be more dangerous than all of the challenges they had just endured?

"You?" Harry stepped toward Quirrell. The man in the purple robes and purple turban turned to face the two students, the fearful expression he wore the entire school year suddenly gone. "No, it can't be. Snape, he was the . . ."

"Yes, he does seem the type, doesn't he?" Quirrell smirked. "Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-st-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"

Shaye furrowed her brows, thoroughly confused. "But what about all the stuff Snape has been doing?" she asked. "What about when he tried to kill Harry during the Quidditch match?"

"No, dear girl." Quirrell shook his head. "I tried to kill Harry! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little countercurse."

"Snape was trying to save me?" Harry gasped. 

"I knew you were a danger to me right from the off." Quirrell stared daggers at Harry, pretty much ignoring Shaye altogether. "Especially after Halloween."

Something clicked in Harry's mind. "Then you let the troll in."

"Very good, Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running about the dungeon, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone. But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never." Quirrell slowly turned to face the mirror again and Harry's scar burned once more. "Now, what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the Stone. But how do I get it?"

"Use the boy." a whispy voice echoed through the cave-like room. Shaye and Harry looked around, trying to figure out where the voice had come from, but there was no one else in sight.

"Come here, Potter!" Quirrell whipped around. "Now!"

Harry took a single step forward but Shaye grabbed his arm to stop him. "Harry, no," she whispered. "He just admitted to trying to kill you once before. He might do it again."

"Whatever happens, we will face it together." Harry was surprisingly calm and along with Shaye, he walked down the final few steps toward Quirrell.

Quirrell ushered Harry in front of the mirror. "Tell me, what do you see?"

Harry stared into the mirror for a few seconds. Of course, whatever he was seeing, Shaye wasn't. Harry's eyes then widened and he looked down at the pocket of his trousers. Shaye could see that something was in the pocket, but she had no idea what it was.

"What is it?" Quirrell snapped. "What do you see?"

"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup," Harry said, and even though Shaye had no idea what he had really seen, she sensed he was lying.

"He lies." that same airy voice from before said.

"Tell the truth!" Quirrell demanded. "What do you see?"

Shaye took her turn to glance into the mirror but when she did, she didn't see anything different. She hoped that she could see what Harry was seeing but she knew she wasn't. All she saw was the reflection of herself, Harry and Quirrell . . . although Quirrell seemed to almost shine as if he were the focal point of the image.

"I'll tell you what I see." Shaye offered, hoping she could come up with an undetectable lie that could buy her and Harry some more time. There was something else going on here and Shaye was determined to find out what it was.

"Get rid of the girl." the disembodied voice spoke again and without thinking, Quirrell pushed Shaye back roughly. Shaye stumbled backward and landed on the ground, her blood boiling.

Shaye rubbed the back of her head where she had hit it on the ground. "It's fine, Harry," Shaye assured him when he looked worried. "I'm fine."

"Let me speak to the boy." the voice hissed. 

"Master, you are not strong enough." that familiar worried look crept back onto Quirrell's face.

"I have strength enough for this."

Reluctantly, Quirrell began to unwrap his turban and Harry slowly backed away. Shaye took this time to push herself back up to her feet again and when she turned to look back at Quirrell she spotted the reflection of the back of his head in the mirror. Only, the back of his head wasn't exactly the back of his head . . . there was another face there. 

"Harry Potter . . . we meet again." the face seemed to stretch into existence on the back of Quirrell's bald head. That was where the voice they had kept hearing was coming from. 

Harry's eyes were glued to the reflection in the mirror. "Voldemort," he said.

"Yes." the face, Voldemort, wheezed. "You see what I've become? See what I must do to survive?Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something that, conveniently enough, lies in your pocket."

Grabbing Shaye's arm, Harry turned and started back up the stairs at a run. "Stop them!" Voldemort ordered and with a snap of Quirrell's fingers, a ring of fire surrounded the room, stopping Shaye and Harry from escaping.

"Don't be a fool." Voldemort hissed as Shaye and Harry tried to find another way out. "Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?"

"Never!" Harry refused.

Voldemort let out a sickening laugh. "Bravery. Your parents had it too. So did Lorelei Frazier . . . pity what little it did in the end."

Shaye felt her heart hammer against her chest. "M-my sister?" she asked. "What do you know about my sister?!"

Voldemort only laughed again. "Tell me . . . would you like to see your family again? Your parents, Harry? Your sister, Shaye? Together, we can bring them back."

"Back?!" Shaye cried. "Back from what? My sister isn't dead!"

"All I ask is for something in return." Voldemort continued. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the Philosopher's Stone. "That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the Stone!"

"Don't do it, Harry!" Shaye pleaded. "He's lying! I know I haven't seen my sister in years but somehow I just know . . . I can just feel it . . . she isn't dead. But even if she was, Harry, she can't come back and neither can your parents. He's lying!"

Harry looked up at Voldemort and then back down at the Stone. "You liar!" he shouted.

"Kill them!" Voldemort seethed and in mere seconds Quirrell was shooting through the air and tackling Shaye and Harry onto the ground. 

Harry dropped the stone as he fell but neither he nor Shaye was able to reach for it. Quirrell was holding his hands around their throats, slowly but surely strangling them to death. Shaye felt her vision begin to turn fuzzy and just when she thought she was about to pass out, she tried to think about what Hermione would do in that situation.

Quirrell's hand around her neck felt a lot like the Devil's Snare had, and without any other plan of action, she decided to adopt the same method that had helped her escape from that situation.

Shaye relaxed every single muscle in her body, closed her eyes and stopped fighting against Quirrel. Harry let out a loud choking sound when he thought that his friend was dead, but that just proved how convincing the performance had been. It was so convincing, in fact, that Quirrell assumed Shaye was passed out or dead as well. Either way, he removed his hand from around her neck with seconds to spare and turned all of his attention to Harry.

Shaye had to struggle not to suck in a huge gulp of air and blow her cover. Slowly and carefully, she filled her lungs with oxygen and waited for the right moment. 

Once Quirrell's eyes remained focused on Harry and not her, Shaye grabbed the Stone from the ground and hit Quirrell over the head with it. It didn't do much, but it distracted him just enough for Harry to catch a quick breath and get his hands around Quirrell's wrist.

Quirrell let out a shriek as the smell of burning flesh filled Shaye's nostrils. Quirrell's skin was burning and smoking where Harry had grabbed him. Quirrell continued to scream as he removed his hand from around Harry's neck and fell back in agonizing pain.

"What is this magic?" Quirrell cried as his hand turned to ash and crumbled away before him. 

"Fool, get the Stone!" Voldemort rasped.

Quirrell lunged toward the Stone in Shaye's hands but Harry stepped between them and planted his hands onto Quirrell's cheeks. Quirrell's face began to sizzle under Harry's touch, just like his hand had, and he jumped back.

Quirrell's face turned to ash and soon after, so did the rest of his body. One second he was standing there in front of them and the next he was a pile of soot and purple robes on the ground.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Shaye rushed over to him and handed back the Stone. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." he drew in a deep breath. "You?"

Shaye shrugged. "My head hurts but otherwise I think I'm okay."

The two friends seemed to have spoken too soon, however, because when they turned around they saw that a smokey figure was rising up from Quirrell's ashes. The figure lunged at them, passing directly through their bodies before disappearing up the stairs and dissipating completely.

Shaye felt as though her heart had stopped beating for a moment and before she knew it she was collapsing onto the ground beside Harry. She tried to fight whatever was happening to her, but before she knew it she was gasping for breath and her eyes were closing.

Left in the wake of Voldemort's attack, Shaye and Harry lay motionless on the ground, surrounded by flames. The Philosopher's Stone sat between them tauntingly, just a fingertips distance away from both of their hands.


	14. Walking Bravely into the Unknown

When Shaye finally came to again, she was staring up at the white ceiling of the hospital wing. Her head was pounding something fierce and there was a slight, persistent feeling as if a baby elephant was sitting on her chest. But otherwise, she felt okay considering everything she had gone through; well, at least everything she could _remember_ having gone through. 

Bits and pieces were missing, and Shaye had no idea how she had gotten from the cave to her hospital bed, but she was still able to recall the major events such as the Devil's Snare, flying keys, a brutal game of chess, a flaming room with a mirror and a haunting voice. 

The one part that stood out most of all, however, was the sharp memory of Voldemort mentioning her sister's name. He spoke with such confidence and conviction that it was hard not to believe him, even if he was saying the worst possible things.

Lorelei couldn't be dead, could she? Voldemort had never actually said the word 'dead', but surely that was what he had been implying? Surely he had been trying to use Shaye's love for her sister against her.

"Shaye." a weak voice squeaked out. 

Looking to her side, Shaye saw that Harry was in the bed next to her. He wasn't wearing his glasses and his face was covered with scratches and bruises, but he was alive and that was what was most important. 

The tables beside both Harry's and Shaye's beds were full of 'Get Well Soon' cards, flowers, and other various gifts like sweets and little toys.

"Are you okay?" Shaye asked. Her voice cracked from her dry throat so she reached for the cup of water sitting next to a large card that was signed by Hermione.

"Yeah." Harry sat up, revealing his striped pyjamas and bandage on his right hand. "Are you?"

Shaye sat up as well and noticed that she and Harry were the only ones in the hospital wing. "I think so."

As soon as Harry put his glasses back on, he smiled wide at all of the gifts and cards that had been left for him. Shaye smiled as well.

When a light pair of footsteps could be heard, Shaye and Harry turned to see Dumbledore walking into the room. "Good afternoon, Harry. Shaye." he greeted as he stepped up to the bedside table filled with presents. "Tokens from your admirers?"

"Admirers?" Harry asked.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you two and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret," Dumbledore said. "So, naturally, the whole school knows."

Shaye chuckled. "The whole school? Really?"

"Indeed." Dumbledore nodded and picked up an empty Chocolate Frogs box. "Ah, I see that your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs."

"He just wants the cards," Shaye smirked.

"Ron was here? Is he alright?" Harry inquired. "What about Hermione?"

Dumbledore held up a hand, silently telling Harry to calm down. "Fine. They're both just fine."

Harry did, indeed, seem to relax for a moment. But then a whole new slew of questions bombarded his brain. "But what about the Stone?"

"Relax, dear boy. The Stone has been destroyed," Dumbledore said. "My friend Nicholas and I have had a little chat and agreed it was best all around."

"But then, Flamel . . . he'll die, won't he?" Shaye asked.

Making his way between the two students, Dumbledore sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die."

Shaye nodded understandingly. She supposed if anyone was going to have a perfect life, the man who had just celebrated his 665th birthday would have been the one to have it. 

"How is it I got the Stone, sir?" Harry asked yet another question while Shaye was more content with sitting back and rejoicing in the simple fact that she was alive. "One minute I was staring in the mirror and the next . . ."

"You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone— find it but not use it—would be able to get it," Dumbledore explained. "That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me, that is saying something."

Shaye and Harry snickered.

"Does that mean, with the Stone gone that is, that Voldemort can never come back?" Shaye asked, unsure what answer she wanted to hear. Like most everyone else, Shaye would be perfectly happy living in a world without Voldemort. But then again, he seemed to be the only one who knew anything about her sister.

"I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return," Dumbledore answered and turned to look at Harry. "Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him?" Harry shook his head. "It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you. And that kind of act leaves a mark."

Harry's hand shot up to his scar.

"No, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin."

Harry thought for a moment. "What is it?" he asked.

"Love, Harry. Love." Dumbledore flashed a warm smile toward Harry and Shaye before standing up again. "Ah, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit-flavoured one. And since then, I'm afraid, I've lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee." he picked up the already opened box and placed a single bean into his mouth. "Alas! Earwax."

With that, Dumbledore left the two students to rest and exited the hospital wing just as Madam Pomfrey was returning with her arms full of supplies.

Looking down at a small cut on her arm, completely unaware of how, exactly, she had gotten it, Shaye sighed and looked across at Harry. "Well, we did it," she said. "We've faced Voldemort twice in one year. I think that's got to be a record."

Harry chuckled. "Record or not, I think that's enough for one lifetime."

Shaye nodded in agreement as she grabbed for a box of muggle chocolate bars that had been left by her bedside (by Hermione who had said her parents had sent them for her) and offered one to Harry. 

Together, the two friends sat in bed, eating Mars Bars and watching a broom work its way across the hospital wing, sweeping as it went.

"Hey, Harry?" Shaye reached for another chocolate bar.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me come with you."

Harry smiled. "Thanks for coming with me."

═══════════════

It was a few more days later, only a day before everyone was supposed to head back home for the summer, when Madam Pomfrey finally felt comfortable with releasing Shaye and Harry from the hospital wing. 

Shaye believed, however, that she would have kept them there longer if it wasn't for all the visitors they kept getting—mostly curious students with a million different questions—and the fact that Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, kept setting off firecrackers inside to cheer the two up.

Either way, Shaye and Harry were beginning to feel very cooped up, so when they were finally able to change back into their robes and walk out of the hospital wing, they were over the moon.

Ron and Hermione had been waiting for the two when they got out, and as soon as the four friends were reunited, their faces split into huge grins.

"All right there, Ron?" Harry asked.

"All right," Ron replied. "You?"

Harry shrugged. "All right."

"Hermione?" Shaye looked up at her best friend.

Hermione nodded. "Never better. You?"

"Same."

That evening, everyone had gathered in the Great Hall for the end of year feast and to announce the winner of the House Cup (which wasn't really a surprise seeing as how the entire Hall had already been decorated with green Slytherin banners.)

Shaye and Harry had been so busy catching up with friends and answering questions that they had barely had any time to eat before McGonagall began tapping her spoon against her glass, calling for the students to quiet down.

Once the chattering has stopped, Dumbledore rose from his golden throne to address the Hall. "Another year gone," he started with a wave of the hand. "And now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 262 points. Third place, Hufflepuff with 352 points. In second place, Ravenclaw with 426 points. And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin house."

The Slytherin table burst into applause, but the majority of the students' faces in the Great Hall were sour. It was one thing to not win the House Cup but it was another to lose to Slytherin. 

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. Well done, Slytherin." Dumbledore waited out the cheering and applause before continuing. "However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last-minute points to award. To Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect while others were in grave peril, fifty points."

The Gryffindor table applauded.

"Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best-played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years, fifty points."

More applause.

"Thirdly, to Miss Shaye Frazier, for the ability to set her personal troubles aside and walk bravely into the unknown to protect those she cares about, fifty points."

Even more applause.

"Fourth, to Mr. Harry Potter for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Even the teachers clapped that time and the smile on McGonagall's face was priceless. It was obvious that she was proud, even in the face of all of the rule-breaking that she had had to reprimand.

"We're tied with Slytherin!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies . . . but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." Dumbledore added. "I award ten points . . . to Neville Longbottom."

The Gryffindors were ecstatic. Thanks to Neville, they had beat the Slytherins in points and had won the House Cup. 

Dumbledore smiled. "Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order." He clapped his hands together and just like that, the green and silver banners fluttered and turned to red and gold. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup."

Shaye and the other Gryffindors stood to their feet, cheering and clapping the whole time. Hats were flying, people were laughing, and at one point Shaye even swore she heard Hagrid shouting his congratulations.

The excitement of the evening didn't truly wear off until the next morning when everyone was making their way to the train station. Luggage was packed, pets were stored away safely, and a whole year at Hogwarts had come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Soon, the students of Hogwarts would be back aboard the Hogwarts Express, just like they had been at the beginning of the year, and would be heading back to King's Cross Station where their families would be waiting for them.

On the boat ride from the caste to the station, Shaye had taken the time to fill Ron in on the situation with her sister and everything that she and Hermione had discovered over the course of the school year, which really wasn't a lot.

Ron was a little upset that he had been the last one to find out but he eventually got over it. Soon enough, he was asking questions just like Hermione had been when she first found out. No longer did he believe everything he had read about or heard from his brothers.

"We're friends now," he had said. "And that means that if you think the rumours aren't true and that she's still out there somewhere, then so do I."

This sentiment had made Shaye the happiest she had been a very long time.

"Me, too." Harry agreed. "If Voldemort knew about her, there must be more to the story. From now on, you can tell us anything . . . _all of us_. We're here to help. We're in this together."

After arriving at the station, the group of four walked over to Hagrid, who was ushering kids onto the train, so they could say goodbye.

Hagrid narrowed his eyes down at the group. "Thought you were leaving without saying goodbye, did you?"

One by one, the group gave Hagrid a hug goodbye before returning to the train. When it was just Harry left, Hagrid pulled a photo album out of his pocket and handed it to Harry.

Flipping open the album, Harry paused on a picture of him as a baby with his parents. He smiled wide and held the album close to his heart.

When Harry returned to the train, where Shaye, Ron and Hermione were waiting for him, they all turned to take one last look at the school grounds in the distance and the tips of the castle towers that peeked over the trees. 

"Feels weird to be going home, doesn't it?" Hermione commented.

"I'm not going home," Harry said, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Not really."

With a final wave from Hagrid, the four friends boarded the train. As the locomotive pulled away from the station and the view from the windows became blurred by the steam, Shaye wondered how she was going to explain everything to her parents. 

Elise and Dorian Frazier had certainly warned their daughter beforehand that Hogwarts was a magical place where adventures awaited around every corner, but Shaye wasn't so sure they had meant facing the Dark Lord himself when they had said that.

All Shaye could really hope for was that her second year would be half as incredible as the first . . . only this time, she could do with a little less danger. 


	15. Flourish and Blotts

**Year 2 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

Sitting on the edge of her bed, legs swinging over the edge, Shaye glanced at her packed trunk and sleeping owl in the corner of the room before turning her attention back to what she had been focusing on all morning; or rather, all summer.

From where she was sitting, Shaye was able to see the door to her sister's bedroom across the hall. It was closed, as always, but a lock had also been installed by her parents after she had returned from her first year at Hogwarts.

Elise and Dorian Frazier had been all too happy to hear about the adventures their daughter had experienced (with a few of the more worrying details left out, of course) and the knowledge she had gained. When she started bringing her sister into conversation, however, and mentioning You-Know-Who in the same breath, they were less than thrilled.

Lorelei Frazier had been a taboo subject in the Frazier household—and family, as a whole—ever since she had gone missing, all methods of searching had been exhausted and the rumours had started flying. When Shaye used to ask questions about her sister, it seemed harmless because that's all they were: questions. Now, however, it was fewer questions and more statements and theories. 

Shaye was now devoted to finding out what had really happened to her sister and where she had gone and the Frazier family vehemently disapproved. 

All summer long Shaye had been thinking about searching through her sister's room; dreaming about all the clues she would find. But then the lock had been placed on the door and her dreams seemed to be crushed. 

Shaye knew she could break in easily enough thanks to a certain spell she had learned from Hermione the previous year, but she knew that once the deed was done, her parents would find out and punishment would soon follow. 

So, Shaye had to be smart about this. She needed to break in as close to her departure for Hogwarts as possible. That way, before her parents had the chance to find out, she would already be gone—which would hopefully give them a few months to calm down a little.

Before Shaye had the chance to plot too much, however, she heard her parents calling her name from downstairs. As thrilling as daydreaming about the hidden contents of the locked room was, Shaye and her family were heading to Diagon Ally that day for some last-minute shopping and there was nothing—not even the endless mysterious possibilities that awaited her in Lorelei's room —that could stop her from getting to see her friends again.

Shaye had been writing to Harry, Ron and Hermione all summer long. Harry never wrote back, which worried Shaye greatly, and Ron only answered occasionally. Hermione's letters, on the other hand, were like clockwork. Every Monday morning Shaye would send her owl Erwin out with a letter for Hermione and precisely three hours later he would return with a response letter from her.

Eager to see each other again, the friends had managed to set up a date and time to all head to Diagon Ally so they could see each other before school started. The only person who had been left out of the loop was Harry, but Shaye supposed that was his fault since he never wrote back (not even to Ron.)

Grabbing her sweater, Shaye rushed out of her room and down the stairs (managing one last quick peek in the locked door's direction) to meet her parents. 

Elise and Dorian Frazier were very excited to meet their daughter's friends. Before Shaye had gone to Hogwarts, all of her friends had been neighbourhood children who, of course, were muggles—so magic had to be kept on the down-low. And Lorelei had never really had many friends, or if she did, she never introduced them to anyone in the family.

With everyone ready to go, the family of three exited the house—Elise casting a few last-minute cleaning spells so the home would be spotless when they returned—and they set off for Diagon Ally.

Shaye was moving so quickly through the crowds of young witches and wizards that she had nearly lost her parents twice. In a rush to get to the designated meeting spot, Flourish and Blotts, she nearly walked right past Hermione, who had gotten distracted by the wizarding pet shop and was admiring some owl fledglings in the window.

Shaye, however, couldn't miss that head of big, brown hair if she tried.

"Hermione!" Shaye pulled her friend in for a hug, which startled her at first. 

Hermione quickly realized who had embraced her and let out a happy squeal. "Oh, it feels like it's been ages since we've seen each other!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't it feel like it's been ages?"

"It does." Shaye agreed. "Never in all my life have I ever wanted the summer to be over so badly."

As soon as Shaye's parents had caught up and she introduced Hermione to them, the two girls turned quickly to make their way toward the book store. They didn't get two steps, however, when a large man and boy covered in soot blocked their path.

"Harry." Hermione smiled at the boy, recognizing him behind the soot and broken glasses, before craning her neck to look up at the man. "Hagrid."

"Hello, Hermione." Hagrid grinned. "Hello, Shaye."

The three friends exchanged greetings and pleasantries happily. "What did you do to your glasses?" Shaye asked. The school year hadn't even started yet and somehow, Harry already looked a little worse for wear.

Before Harry could answer, Hermione pulled her wand from her robes and performed the same spell that she had that day on the train last year. " _Oculus Reparo._ " she recited and just like that, the glasses were good as new.

"I definitely need to remember that one." Harry chuckled.

"You'll be all right now, then, Harry?" Hagrid asked and Harry nodded. "Right. I'll leave you to it."

As Hagrid turned and walked off, the three friends continued down the ally to Flourish and Blotts, which was unusually much busier than normal. The three pushed their way up to the front of the store where a family of red-heads with some familiar faces was waiting; the Weasleys.

"Oh, Harry." Ron's mother smiled when she saw him. "Thank goodness. We'd hoped you'd only gone one grate too far."

Harry smiled sheepishly as Ron's mother, Molly Weasley, dusted the soot from his robes. In the meantime, Shaye greeted Ron and Ron's many siblings, including his little sister Ginny whom she had never met before.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart." someone announced and suddenly, all of the chatterings in the shop ceased and a round of applause followed as a man in periwinkle robes stepped out in front of a table of books, all of them credited with his name. This must have been why the store was so crowded.

The famous author, Gilderoy Lockhart, had blonde hair and a smile that drove the ladies mad. Shaye had never heard of this man before but she could immediately tell where the appeal came from. He hadn't even spoken yet and charm radiated off of him in waves.

"Mum fancies him," Ron whispered, but not quietly enough. Molly smacked him on the arm.

A photographer from the Daily Prophet pushed his way through the crowd to snap a photo of Lockhart for the paper. As Lockhart posed, his eyes suddenly settled on someone in the crowd and his smile faltered.

"It can't be. Harry Potter?" Lockhart gasped.

Seconds later, Harry was being dragged up to the front to pose for a picture with Lockhart. "Nice big smile, Harry," Lockhart instructed. "Together, you and I rate the front page."

As soon as the photo had been taken, Lockhart turned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is. When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, 'Magical Me' . . ." The crowd broke out into applause. " . . . which, incidentally, is currently celebrating its 27th week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list . . . he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving with my entire collected works free of charge."

Another photo, more clapping and even more swooning. 

"Do you reckon he bought those girly blue robes with his own money or did his mother give them to him . . ." one of the twins plastered a huge, fake grin on his face to imitate Gilderoy, " . . . _free of charge?_ "

Molly, Ginny and Hermione had been so busy staring at Lockhart that they hadn't even heard the joke. Shaye, however, had been standing right in front of the twins and had to stifle a laugh. 

"At least someone around here appreciates a good sense of humour," Fred, or maybe it was George, said. 

Shaye shrugged and smirked. "They are a little fancy for someone who claims to slay dragons and encounter danger around every corner, aren't they?" Shaye read off the back of one of the books on the table. "Then again, one can't deny that it does take a certain amount of bravery to be so public about wearing hand-me-down robes. Do you think Professor McGonagall knows this is where all of her old robes end up?"

Fred and George broke out into laughter. Even Ron and his father, Arthur, joined in. Molly, who had no idea what the five were laughing about, shot them a dirty look before taking the stack of books from Harry's hands (promising to get them signed) and told the children to wait outside.

As they pushed their way back through the crowd toward the exit, Draco stomped down a flight of stairs and stepped in front of Harry, blocking the door. "I'll bet you loved that, Potter, didn't you?" he seethed. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Leave him alone." Ginny advanced on Draco, glaring up at him.

"Oh, look, Potter," Draco smirked. "You've got yourself a girlfriend."

Before anyone could say another word, a silver snake's head-shaped cane landed upon Draco's shoulder and a man with long blonde hair, who could only be Draco's father, stepped into the shop. 

"Now, now, Draco. Play nicely. Mr. Potter." the man pushed his son aside and stared Harry down. He then introduced himself properly. "Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last." he shook Harry's hand and pulled him close to inspect his scar. "Forgive me. Your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you."

"Voldemort killed my parents," Harry stated simply and backed away. "He was nothing more than a murderer."

Lucius nodded. "You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish."

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," Hermione said.

"And you must be Miss Granger." Lucius guessed and Draco nodded a confirmation. "Yes, Draco has told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren't they?"

Hermione glanced over to where her parents were engaged in a conversation with Arthur Weasley. Ron's father worked at the Ministry of Magic in the department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, so he was very interested in all things muggle; which Hermione's parents were.

"That must mean you are Miss Frazier." Lucius turned to Shaye next. "Yes, I've heard all about your family . . . or, your sister, really. Pity what happened to her but even more of a pity to waste a perfectly good pure-blood family on such . . . mediocrity."

Shaye didn't say a word. She wasn't going to give this foul git the time of day.

"Speaking of mediocre pure-blood families . . ." Lucius then turned to Ron and his siblings. "Let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions . . . tatty, secondhand books. You must be the Weasleys."

"Children!" Arthur came up behind the group. "It's mad in here. Let's go outside."

"Well, well, well," Lucius smirked. "Weasley senior."

Arthur eyed Lucius and grimaced. "Lucius."

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime . . ." Lucius picked an old book out of Ginny's cauldron and inspected it, ". . . but judging by the state of this, I'd say not. What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly." Lucius glanced across the shop at Hermione's parents. "Associating with muggles. And I thought your family could sink no lower. I'll see you at work."

Without another word, Lucius slipped Ginny's book back into her cauldron and whisked Draco away, leaving the friends and Arthur Weasley in disbelief at the encounter they had just faced. 


	16. A Rough Return

It was now or never.

Shaye had exactly thirty minutes until she had to leave for King's Cross Station and a lock still held Lorelei's bedroom door shut securely, almost in a taunting fashion. Shaye had been staring at the thing all morning and had even, on a few occasions, ventured out into the hall. But not once was she able to muster up enough courage to break into the room itself. The fear of getting caught was too much.

But then, as Shaye glanced over at the clock on her bedside table and watched the seconds tick away, she was overcome with an even greater fear. What if she never swallowed her doubts and entered that room? What would she be missing out on? For all she knew, the one clue that would lead directly to Lorelei was in there, just waiting to be discovered.

If Shaye didn't do it now there was a good chance she would never do it, and if she never did it, she would spend all of her time wondering what could have happened if she did. The possibilities were simply too endless and too promising to pass up. 

Drawing in a deep breath, Shaye picked up her wand and crept out into the hall, making sure to avoid the floorboards that were known to squeak. Shaye listened for her parents to make sure they wouldn't be coming upstairs and once she was sure they were both immersed in a conversation in the kitchen, she took her chance.

Shaye pointed her wand at the lock on the bedroom door and muttered, " _Alohomora,_ " as softly as possible.

The lock clicked open instantly and the bedroom door swung open. Shaye froze, listening for anything that might suggest her parents had heard her but they were still talking away as loudly as before. There wasn't even a falter in one of their voices, which may have indicated they had heard the sound of the lock opening but had shrugged it off or chosen to ignore it.

Moving as slowly and carefully as possible—while still acting fast within the given time limit—Shaye took a quick survey of the room. Like always, Lorelei's bedroom was in pristine condition—Lorelei had always been very tidy and the room remained the same as she had left it.

There were many spots where something important could have been hidden, so Shaye was unsure where to start. Eventually, she decided on the bedside table and pulled the drawer open, which after a quick search revealed nothing of importance; just a few birthday cards she had saved, two books and a small box with the jewellery she rarely wore.

Next, Shaye checked the desk drawers. Sadly, it was much of the same nothing. Textbooks, regular books, quills and other miscellaneous objects that clearly held no value to Shaye's search.

Finally, with only ten minutes to spare, Shaye opened the closet. Shelves and boxes were packed full of Lorelei's things, all the way from old school supplies to clothes she had outgrown but never got rid of. Shaye tried to look through as much of the possessions as possible but it was hard to sift through the items without making a lot of noise. 

Sure that she was going to run out of time, Shaye was just about to close the closet back up and vow to return for a second search during the winter holidays when something caught her eye. On the very top shelf in the closet, barely peeking out from under a pile of discarded blankets and pillowcases, sat a box labelled, **Lorelei - Hogwarts.**

Shaye recognized the box instantly. It was the package that had been sent from Hogwarts containing all of the things left behind in Lorelei's dormitory when she had gone missing. Shaye also knew for a fact that the box had never been opened because when it had arrived, Shaye's parents had been too emotional to handle her things so they had shoved it into the closet and had, most likely, since forgotten about it.

If there was one thing in the entire bedroom that would have an undiscovered clue inside of it, Shaye was willing to bet it would be the unopened box from the school where Lorelei had disappeared from.

"Shaye, honey, it's time to go!" Elise called from the kitchen.

Shaye's heart rate increased and she struggled with the decision to open the box now or leave it until the next time she was home again. Shaye decided on the former. 

"I'll be right down! Just doing some last-minute packing!" Shaye answered back and she could hear her parents muttering, probably something about how they had told her at least ten times to make sure everything was packed and ready to go the night before.

Making her move as quickly as possible, Shaye reached up onto her tip-toes and pulled the blankets and pillowcases off of the shelf. She debated using the chair from the desk to stand on to reach the box itself but decided it would take too long and could potentially make too much noise, so she got on her tip-toes again and nudged the corner of her box with her hand, gently pushing it more and more off of the edge until it slowly tipped over and into her hands. 

Setting the box down, Shaye ripped open the taped-down flaps and began digging. Most of the stuff was uninteresting, like class books and personal items. Sitting at the bottom of the box, however, was a sealed envelope. There was no writing on it, which meant no indication of who the intended receiver was or who the sender had been. Had this been a letter that Lorelei had written and never gotten a chance to send or a letter she had received and never gotten a chance to open?

In most situations, the overwhelming ambiguity of the item would most likely render it useless, but something about the unmarked envelope sparked Shaye's interest and she decided that it was as good a find as any.

With the unopened envelope in hand, Shaye raced out of her sister's room, closed the door behind herself (which remained unlocked), grabbed her things from her room (making sure to tuck the envelope away inside of her bag for safekeeping so she could open it on the train) and made it down to her parents with exactly one minute to spare. 

"Ready?" Dorian asked, not even looking up at Shaye as he slipping his shoes on and reached for the doorknob.

Shaye nodded, trying her best not to sound or look guilty. All she had to do was hold it together for the short car ride to the station and she would be home free. "Yup, ready to go," she answered.

And with that, Shaye and her parents exited the house, piled into the car and headed for King's Cross Station.

As soon as Dorian pulled the car up to the curb, Shaye reached for the door handle and pushed her door open. "You can just drop me off here," she said as she grabbed her trunk and Erwin's cage. 

Elise furrowed her brows. "Are you sure, honey? Are you going to be able to carry all that luggage by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll just get a trolley." Shaye insisted. "I'm just really excited to see my friends and we agreed we would all meet up and board the train together."

Elise shot a worried look to Dorian, who just shrugged. "Well, if you're sure." she agreed hesitantly. "Make sure you write to us when you get there so that we know you made it safely."

"Of course. I love you, Mom. Love you, Dad. See you at Christmas!"

The word 'Christmas' was half cut off when Shaye slammed the car door closed. As she waddled away from the curb, her trunk in one hand, her cage in the other and her travel bag hanging off of her shoulders, she felt as though she could finally breathe.

For something as small and light as a letter, it really was weighing her down mentally.

Grabbing a trolley, like she said she would, Shaye loaded her things onto it and it became much easier to maneuver through the crowds of people in the station. By the time she reached platform nine and three quarters, she could see a family of red-heads and a black-haired boy in the distance.

"Harry! Ron!" Shaye called after them as Fred, George and Percy disappeared through the brick wall between platforms nine and ten.

"Hey, Shaye." Harry and Ron greeted in unison as Ginny disappeared next, followed by her parents.

Once it was just the three of them left, Shaye turned to her friends. "Guys, I think I found something." she pulled the envelope from her bag to show them before putting it back. "I found it in my sister's room. I think it might be a clue."

"What does it say?" Ron asked.

Shaye shrugged. "No idea. I haven't opened it yet."

"Who's it from?" Harry followed up.

"I don't know that, either," she admitted. "There's no writing on it."

Harry and Ron shared a look. "Well, then . . . no offence, but how do you know it's a clue?" Ron questioned.

"I just have a feeling," Shaye said. "But we can open it on the train to find out for sure."

With Harry leading the pack, the three friends started into a run toward the wall. Sure they would pass through the bricks like they had every other time before, they even picked up a little speed before the unexpected happened. Harry crashed right into the wall, followed by Ron and Shaye who tripped over him and joined the pile of trunks and pet cages on the floor.

Muggles stared and whispered as they passed, unsure why three unaccompanied twelve-year-olds had just run right into a brick wall intentionally.

"That's not supposed to happen." Shaye groaned as she stood up and checked on Erwin, who except for a few ruffled feathers, was fine.

"Oi!" one of the station workers walked over. "What do you three think you're doing?"

Harry winced and rubbed his arm. "Sorry." he apologized. "Lost control on the trolley."

The station worker shook his head disapprovingly at the three before continuing on his way. 

"Why can't we get through?" Harry asked.

Ron placed his hand upon the solid brick wall. "I don't know." he shook his head. "The gateway has sealed itself for some reason."

Just then, the clock on the nearby wall let out a clang, telling everyone that it was eleven o'clock. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving now.

"The train leaves at exactly eleven o'clock," Harry said. "We've missed it."

Ron's face suddenly washed over with fear. "If we can't get through . . . maybe Mum and Dad can't get back."

"Maybe we should just go and wait by the car," Harry suggested. Shaye nodded in agreement. That sounded like the most logical solution to their problem. 

Ron thought for a moment. "The car."

It was then, in a slew of persuasive words and confident-sounding ideas that Ron somehow convinced Harry and Shaye that they should take the Weasley's flying car and fly it all the way to Hogwarts themselves.

Shaye tried to dismiss the idea at first, stating all the many ways that it could go wrong, but since she couldn't think of anything better (except for waiting by the car), she was overruled by the boys.

Before Shaye knew it, she was stuffed into the backseat of Ron's family's blue car with her belongings and the vehicle was slowly floating higher and higher up and out of the station car lot. 

Ron was driving since it was his family's car, but it soon became very clear to both Shaye and Harry that if he had ever driven the car before—and that was a big _if_ —it had not been enough to qualify himself as someone who could drive without someone who actually knew what they were doing by his side. 

"Now, all we need to do is find the Hogwarts Express," Ron said.

Harry, who was sitting in the passenger's seat and holding onto his door for dear life, began to panic a little. "Ron, are you sure you know how to fly this?"

"No problem," Ron answered, but the quivering in his voice was less than convincing.

With the car's exhaust sputtering every few seconds and the wheel seemingly jerking left and right on its own accord, Ron nearly collided head-on with a clock tower before managing to get a handle on the controls. 

"Ron, I should tell you . . . most muggles aren't accustomed to seeing a flying car." Harry reminded him.

"Right." Ron nodded and pressed a button on the dash that made the car invisible. 

Seconds later, the trio was off, flying over London in the direction they believed the Hogwarts Express would head in and trying their best to locate train tracks. 

Approximately an hour later, the group found themselves flying over the English countryside and the vehicle's Invisibility Booster had broken, meaning they were as visible as the passing mountains and swooping birds.

Thankfully, however, it wasn't much longer until Harry spotted the train tracks below and Ron flew the car right over the top of them. As long as they followed the tracks, they should have been able to make it to Hogwarts in one piece.

"Now all we need to do is catch up with the train," Harry said. 

"We shouldn't be far behind." Shaye popped her head up between the two front seats. "We left only minutes after eleven."

It was then that a loud train whistle echoed out over the countryside. It was so loud, in fact, that they must have been getting close. However, the train was nowhere in sight. That's when Shaye looked over her shoulder and made a startling discovery: the train was right behind them and moving fast.

The three friends let out a scream as Ron slammed on the gas. The train was still catching up at an alarming rate however and seconds before the vehicle and the three children were flattened by the locomotive, Ron pulled off of the tracks.

The car tilted and swerved and did a nose dive under the tracks, which sat upon a large cement bridge that wound through the fields and trees. The car even flipped upside down briefly and Shaye found herself sandwiched between her owl Erwin and Harry's owl Hedwig.

Feathers in her mouth and fear coursing through her veins, Shaye was in utter disbelief at the fact that this was how she was going to die: in the backseat of a flying car, in the middle of nowhere and covered in owl feathers.

As Ron jerked on the steering wheel to get control of the car once more, Harry slammed into the car door, which popped open. Since Harry hadn't been wearing his seatbelt—which in hindsight was one of the poorer decisions of the day—he fell out of his seat and just barely managed to grab hold of the car door before he plummeted to his death.

"Harry!" Shaye and Ron screamed at the same time.

Since Ron was busy driving (or more accurately, _trying_ to drive), Shaye jumped into the passenger's seat and held her hand out for Harry while also trying not to fall out herself. Shaye tried not to focus too much on the whistling train below or just how high up they were but when Harry's hand just kept slipping out of her's, she started to panic a little.

Eventually, however, in spite of her palms being a little sweaty from the pure terror she was feeling, Shaye was able to get a good hold on Harry's arm and drag him back up and into the car.

Once the car door was shut again (and locked this time) and all three friends were safely back inside, they began to breathe heavily. For a few seconds, they just stared out the front window and trembled. 

"I think we found the train." Harry exhaled.

"Yeah." Ron nodded, his eyes as big as dinner plates.

It was then that reality hit Shaye hard. "You almost died, Harry," she said. "We all could have died."

Harry and Ron just nodded.

For the remainder of the drive, Ron took it nice and slow. Sure, it was going to be darker than usual when they arrived and sure, they were probably going to be late, but at least they would be alive.

By the time the Hogwarts Castle had come into view, it was, indeed, pitch-black outside. The castle lights shone brightly through the darkness, much like they had on the evening Shaye, Harry and Ron had arrived at Hogwarts for the very first time a year ago.

Shaye felt her nerves begin to subside as they drifted over the Black Lake. They were so close now that surely, nothing else could possibly go wrong.

"Welcome home," Ron told Harry.

The three were all smiles until the car let out a worrying sound and began to rattle. As the engine began to fail and the hood puffed out steam like an angry dragon, Ron steered the car as well as he could to avoid the castle towers. However, it was only a matter of seconds before the trio found themselves headed right for a very large tree.

Ron pulled out his wand in an attempt to stop the car but instead ended up breaking it on the steering wheel. Staring at his broken wand in horror, his feet pressing down on pedals that did absolutely nothing to help, Ron braced for impact. Shaye and Harry followed suit.

The crash-landing into the tree was a rough one, to say the least, but the excitement wasn't over yet. Seconds later, the car then began to slide backwards, and after pinballing off of a few branches, it finally stopped moving. The vehicle and the tree had definitely seen better days, but on the bright side, all three children were still very much alive. 

"Why couldn't we have just waited by the car?" Shaye moaned as she sat back in her seat and gulped air.

"My wand." Ron whimpered. "Look at my wand." 

Harry sighed. "Be thankful it's not your neck."

Just when Shaye thought the worst was over, something smacked into the side of the car. 

"What's happening?" Ron squeaked. Both Shaye and Harry shrugged, unable to answer that question.

Hearing a low, rumbling sound, the three looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of the wooden club-shaped branch that was coming at the car. The tree walloped the hood of the car over and over again, smashing the windows and denting the exterior before it finally whacked the car out of its branches and onto the grass.

The car landed hard on the ground but by that point, there was nothing that could damage it more than the tree had. 

As the tree wound up to pummel the car some more, Ron stepped on the gas—which was thankfully working again—and drove out of the killer plant's reach. Nearly avoiding being crushed to death, the three friends had barely gotten a chance to catch their breath before the car itself had decided that it had taken enough of a beating for one day.

Suddenly, all four car doors and the trunk had popped open and Shaye, Harry and Ron (along with their belongings) found themselves being ejected from the vehicle.

Shaye let out a groan when she hit the ground and had just managed to roll out of the way to avoid being hit by her luggage and Erwin's cage. Shaye's trunk and owl cage were somehow no worse for wear but the owl inside the cage, on the other hand, looked thoroughly displeased.

Harry's owl and Ron's rat were perfectly fine as well.

Once the car had disposed of its contents, it took off across the lawn and out of sight. Ron watched the blue vehicle disappear past Hagrid's hut and into the Forest, a look of pure exhaustion and residual fear on his face. "Dad's gonna kill me," he said.

Shaye took the time to pick the remaining feathers from her hair. "Better him than that bloody tree."


	17. Enveloped Enigma

Sneaking their belongings in with the various other student trunks and pet cages that sat unattended in the corridor, Shaye, Harry and Ron hoped that they could sneak into the Great Hall and join the Gryffindor table without anyone noticing. They were already late enough, which was apparent by the sounds of chatter and clacking silverware that echoed from the Hall and through the rest of the castle, and they didn't want to miss any more than they had to.

Surely, Hermione had noticed the three of them were missing when she had boarded the train and was forced to sit alone. Now, however, without the famous Harry Potter sitting at the Gryffindor table with two of his three closest friends, it was blatantly apparent that they were gone.

"So a house-elf shows up in my bedroom . . ." Harry started, which had been the reason he hadn't been writing back to any of his friends over the summer. A house-elf named Dobby had been hiding all of Harry's mail in hopes that if he believed his friends weren't his friends anymore, he wouldn't return to Hogwarts that year. It was a crazy story but when compared to all of the crazy things that had happened that day, it was simply the icing on the cake.

"Then we couldn't get through the barrier at platform nine and three quarters," Shaye added.

Harry nodded. "We almost got killed by a tree . . . clearly someone doesn't want me here this year."

As the three students climbed the flight of steps that led up to the Great Hall, they were stopped short by Filch, who was waiting for them in front of the closed door, a wicked grin on his face and that mangy cat of his in his arms. 

"Well, take a good look, lads," Filch said. "This night might well be the last you spend in this castle. Oh, dear, we are in trouble."

Just like that, Shaye, Harry and Ron were ushered away from the Great Hall—right when they had been so close to pulling off their elaborate stunt—and promptly ushered into Professor Snape's office.

Snape, who was sitting at his desk and reading a copy of the Evening Prophet—where the front page read, in bold lettering, **Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles**. He had clearly been awaiting their arrival.

"You were seen by no less than seven Muggles." Snape slammed the paper down onto his desk and glared at the three children. "Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world. Not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Whomping Willow that's been on these grounds since before you were born."

"Honestly, Professor Snape, I think it did more damage to us," Ron said.

Filch, who was standing in the corner of the room and petting Mrs. Norris, just grinned. He couldn't wait to see the wrath that Snape would rain down onto Ron for a comment like that.

"Silence." Snape snapped and rose from his chair. "I assure you that were you in Slytherin, and your fate rested with me, the three of you would be on the train home tonight! As it is-"

"-they are not." Dumbledore appeared in the doorway with McGonagall by his side. Shaye instantly felt a lot better at the mere sight of them. 

Snape backed away from the trio. "Headmaster, these three have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such-"

"-I am well aware of our bylaws, Severus, having written quite a few of them myself," Dumbledore assured Snape. "However, as head of Gryffindor house, it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action."

"We'll go and get our stuff then," Ron spoke up. He, along with Shaye and Harry, knew that while Professor McGonagall would surely try and soften the blow just a little, their actions were still inexcusable. They saw nothing but expulsion in their near future.

McGonagall furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?"

"You're going to expel us, aren't you?"

"Not today, Mr. Weasley . . . but I must impress on all three of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight and you will all receive detention."

Dumbledore nodded. "And now, I suggest that we all return to the feast. There is a delicious-looking custard tart that I am most anxious to sample."

As Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape all exited the dark, dimly lit office, the three friends shared a look of relief and bewilderment. They couldn't believe that after everything they had done, they were being let off with a letter home and detention. Of course, the letter home was probably the worst part.

As if Shaye didn't have enough to worry about, what with her parents probably already having found out that she broke into Lorelei's room, now they were going to hear about what else she had been up to. 

Harry led the way toward the door so the three of them could join the feast, but as he passed by Filch, he spotted an envelope on the ground and picked it up. The front of the envelope read, **Kwikspell - A Correspondence Course in Beginner's Magic**. It was addressed to Argus Filch.

"Ugh, Mr. Filch, you dropped this." Harry handed the envelope back.

Without a word, Filch snatched the mail from Harry and stuffed it haphazardly into his pocket. He didn't even turn around to watch the three students leave the room. Whatever that letter was, it was clearly something private.

═══════════════

That evening, after the feast had ended and Shaye, Harry and Ron had met back up with Hermione and painstakingly explained everything that had happened, from the impassible brick wall to the flying car crashing into the Whomping Willow, the group of four sat down in front of the roaring fireplace in the common room and waited for everyone else to head up to bed.

As soon as the last straggler finally shuffled up to the dormitories, Shaye pulled the unopened envelope she had found in Lorelei's room from her pocket and passed it around. Each of the four took a turn examining it, but since there wasn't a single drop of ink on the envelope, there wasn't much to deduce from the outside.

Grabbing the envelope back from Ron, who was going on about the red wax seal was important (which it wasn't), Shaye finally ripped it open and pulled out the letter inside. Without thinking twice, she began to read it out loud.

_**The order has failed to be completed. I tracked and tracked for days on end, searching high and low through the troll-infested mountains and the deepest, darkest parts of the Forest. Still, I have come up empty-handed. The Lost Wanderer continues to evade us.** _

**_It might be time to accept the fact that they are already dead. We may be unable to provide proof, but as long as that traitorous swine doesn't show back up again, I think we may be in the clear._ **

_**Either way, inform the Dark Lord that the issue is dealt with. Dead or in hiding, the Lost Wanderer is no more. There are more important things to be searching for, as we all know.** _

Shaye scanned the letter once more after she had finished reading, making sure she had picked out all the important details that she could. Somehow, the letter was both extremely ambiguous and also packed with new information to take in.

"Who is the Lost Wanderer?" Shaye asked, but everyone (including Hermione) just shrugged.

"The Dark Lord . . ." Harry pointed to the name on the page. "That's Voldemort."

Ron's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What order? What is the more important thing they are searching for?"

"This is quite literally the most frustrating and useless clue in the world." Shaye sighed. "No answers. Only more questions."

"This letter doesn't contain anything mentioning your sister or anything to do with her." Hermione pointed out. "Why would it have been packed away with her things?"

Shaye thought for a moment. "Maybe she was the one who wrote the letter. Maybe she was the one looking for whoever the Lost Wanderer is . . . maybe that's why she went missing. Does that mean she really was a Death Eater?"

"We don't know that for sure," Hermione said, noticing the disappointed look on Shaye's face. "Just because neither of us has heard of the Lost Wanderer before, doesn't mean that _no one_ has. We can ask around. We'll come up with something."

"Yeah." Harry and Ron agreed.

And with that, the four exhausted friends said goodnight to one another and headed up to bed. Based on all of the excitement they had endured before their first official day had even begun, it was abundantly clear that they were going to want to be well-rested for the morning.

Shaye, however, try as she might, only managed to get a few hours of sleep. The rest of the night she tossed and turned, wondering what the letter meant and why her sister had had it in the first place.

So many questions and so little answers. 


	18. Class Act Catastrophe

It was a beautiful day at Hogwarts. So beautiful, in fact, that it almost made Shaye forget all about what had happened the day before. The mishap at the train station, the flying car, the Whomping Willow and even Snape and Filch had been set on the backburner. The one thing that still bothered Shaye was the letter but she had decided that she would only try to worry about it in the evenings when she, Harry, Ron and Hermione got together to try and figure out what any of it meant.

At that very moment, Shaye had chosen to push the letter from her mind as well. She was in her very first Herbology class of the year and had promised herself that she would maintain her grades despite the sheer amount of unanswered questions weighing heavily on her mind.

"Morning, everyone." Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff house, greeted as she entered the greenhouse. 

"Good morning, Professor Sprout." the class chorused. 

"Welcome to greenhouse three, second years." Sprout motioned for everyone to step up to the large wooden table in the middle of the greenhouse. "Gather around, everyone. Today we're going to re-pot Mandrakes. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?"

Unsurprisingly, Hermione's hand shot up. 

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state," Hermione answered. "It's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it."

Sprout smiled wide. "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet. But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I've given each of you a pair of earmuffs for auditory protection. So could you please put them on, right away? Quickly. Flaps tight down, and watch me closely."

Grabbing the pair of earmuffs on the table, Shaye dusted off some dirt before placing them over her ears and making sure that the flaps were, indeed, tight down. Once everyone had made sure their ears were protected, all eyes were on Professor Sprout once more.

"You grasp your Mandrake firmly. You pull it sharply up out of the pot." Sprout instructed, having to shout to be heard over the earmuffs and the shrill, mind-numbing screech of the Mandrake she had just evicted from its pot. "Got it? And now you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm."

As Professor Sprout ended her demonstration, Neville let out an airy moan and collapsed to the ground. 

Sprout sighed. "Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs."

Seamus, who had been standing beside Neville, looked down at him. "No, ma'am, he's just fainted." he pointed out the fact that Neville had been wearing his earmuffs after all.

"Yes, well, just leave him there," Sprout said. "Right, on we go. Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrake and pull it up."

At once, everyone grabbed onto the top of their Mandrake and pulled it from the soil. The room erupted into shrieks and even with the earmuffs on, the noise was hard to tolerate. The only thing that made it any better was watching Draco's Mandrake bite him on the finger. 

Feeling a headache approaching fast, Shaye worked quickly at stuffing her plant that both looked and sounded like an upset infant into the new pot. As soon as she covered it with fresh soil, it calmed down and stopped screaming. 

Once everyone had successfully re-potted their Mandrake plant and Neville had been sent to the hospital wing, the Herbology class came to an end and Shaye relished in the sound of silence. It was just so peaceful without thirty shrieking plants. 

After class, the group of four headed to the Great Hall for lunch. Shaye had piled her plate high with food because, in the wake of the stress she had been feeling due to the letter, she found herself eating more than normal. Shaye scoffed to herself as she took a bit of her sandwich. What kind of twelve-year-old stress ate?

Across the table, Ron was taping up his broken wand, trying his best to repair it. "Say it." he stared at it disappointingly. "I'm doomed."

Harry eyed Ron's wand and the pathetic tape-job. "You're doomed."

"Hi, Harry!" a small boy with wide eyes and a huge grin ran up to the table. Before Harry even had the chance to say hello back, the kid pulled out a camera and snapped a picture. Harry blinked wildly at the bright light of the flash. "I'm Colin Creevey," the kid stated happily. "I'm in Gryffindor too."

"Hi, Colin, nice to meet you." Harry's pupils finally returned to normal size. 

Colin glanced over at Ron quickly. "Say, do you think your friend could take a photo and me and you standing together? You know, to prove I've met you. It's for my dad. He's a milkman, you know. A muggle, like all our family's been until me. No one knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till we got our letter from Hogwarts. Everyone just thought I was mental."

Ron smirked. "Imagine that."

Before Harry was given the chance to accept that very tempting offer, a brown owl swooped into the Great Hall and let out a loud screech to announce its arrival. "Ron, is that your owl?" Dean Thomas asked.

Everyone turned their head just in time to watch Ron's family owl, Errol, fly across the hall and crash into a bowl of chips in front of Ron. The Slytherin table broke out into laughter.

"Bloody bird's a menace." Ron grabbed the envelope the owl had been carrying in its beak. Quickly, the bird hopped up, shook off the chip dust and flew off as if nothing had even happened.

"I commend that bird for its determination and perseverance." Shaye put down her sandwich so she could hear what Ron's mail said. Most likely, it was a letter from his parents about what had happened with the flying car. 

Ron stared at the red envelope, terrified. "Oh, no." he gasped.

"Look, everyone," Seamus called as much attention to Ron as possible. "Weasley's got himself a Howler."

"Go on, Ron." Neville encouraged. "I ignored one from my gran once. It was horrible."

Reluctantly, Ron opened the envelope. As soon as he did, the familiar sound of Molly Weasley's voice erupted from it _. "Ronald Weasley!"_ the red envelope floated into the air in front of Ron's face and shaped itself into a mouth. _"How dare you steal that car! I am absolutely disgusted! Your father's now facing an inquiry at work and it's entirely your fault! If you put another toe out of line we'll bring you straight home!"_ The envelope then turned to face Ginny, who was sitting farther down the table with Fred and George. _"Oh, and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud."_

The envelope then tore itself to shreds upon the tabletop, leaving Ron in a state of pure embarrassment. Shaye picked her sandwich back up and took a large bite as the thought of what was going to happen when she received the eventual letter from her parents hit her. 

Ron, who wanted nothing more than to leave the Great Hall and its many prying eyes as soon as possible, suggested that the four of them head to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class early. Shaye agreed instantly, wanting to get as far away from food as soon as possible before something else set her off. Harry and Hermione didn't have any problem with that either, so off they went. 

Since the four of them were the first ones to arrive in class (a good twenty minutes early), they picked seats in the front row and waited for the rest of the class to show up. Slowly, the other Gryffindor students trickled in, along with the students from other houses, such as the Slytherins.

Somehow, it seemed that Gryffindor shared all of their classes with the Slytherins, which meant that Draco was always around to poke fun and cast dirty looks from across the room. 

When the office door at the top of the steps opened and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher walked out, Shaye was more than surprised to see Gilderoy Lockhart standing there. "Let me introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." he grinned. "Me."

Lockhart was wearing brownish-gold robes with what looked like a three-piece suit underneath and a puffy white ascot. At that moment, Shaye really wished that Fred and George weren't two years ahead so she had someone to laugh at the outfit with. Hermione was too busy swooning, like the other girls, and Harry and Ron were too wrapped up in their hatred to enjoy the comical aspects of the situation.

"Gilderoy Lockart . . . Order of Merlin, Third Class . . ." he boasted about himself as he descended the stairs and passed a painting that depicted himself painting himself. "Honourary member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him."

While Hermione and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff gawked at the professor, Shaye shared a disgusted look with Harry and Ron. She had to remember to tell this to the twins. 

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books. Well done." Lockhart glanced around the room. "Now, I thought we'd start today with a little quiz." he picked up a stack of papers from his desk. "Nothing to worry about. Just to check how well you've read them. How much you've taken in."

Shaye watched as the other girls in the class smiled wide and watched Lockhart walk around the classroom, elated just to be in his presence. She wondered if it was weird that she wasn't swooning as well. Sure, Lockhart was a handsome man but he seemed kind of . . . air-headed and self-involved to her. 

Shaye shrugged it off and tried to brush her initial judgements about the man away, but as soon as she had been handed the quiz and read the first question, she was convinced she had been right from the very start.

"Look at these questions," Ron said. "They're all about him."

Harry nodded and read one of the questions out loud. "'What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?'"

"'What is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?'" Ron read another.

"'What was Gilderoy Lockhart's childhood nickname?'" Shaye spun around in her seat to face Harry and Ron. "Is this a joke?"

Once all of the quizzes had been handed out, Lockhart returned to the front of the classroom. "You have thirty minutes. Start . . ." he paused as the children picked up their quills, ". . . now!"

Shaye tried her best to answer the questions she had been given but when she had briefly skimmed Lockhart's books that morning before class she had been paying more attention to the magical aspects and less to the personal ones. By the time the thirty minutes was up and she had handed in her quiz, she was sure there wasn't a single question she had gotten right.

"Tut, tut." Lockhart shook his head as he looked through the quizzes. "Hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. But Miss Hermione Granger knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions. Good girl."

Slowly, Shaye raised her hand. 

"Yes, you?" Lockhart called on her. "What's your name?"

"Shaye Frazier."

Lockhart quickly sifted through the quizzes and pulled out Shaye's. A look of disappointment fell over his face. "Not a single question right. What a shame," he said. "Did you have a question?"

"Yes, actually." Shaye nodded. "I don't mean any offence, professor, but how exactly does knowing your favourite colour pertain to learning about the dark arts?"

"Because I have dedicated my life to fighting the dark arts and clearing away the evil in the world," he answered. "To know about me is to know about the dark arts themselves."

Shaye took a moment to process that information. "Then shouldn't the questions on the quiz been about how you fought the dark arts and not about what your childhood nickname was?"

Lockhart thought a moment for a response, but when none came, he simply moved on. "Now, be warned!" he suddenly jumped up, startling a few children. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind." He pulled out his wand and tapped a cloaked cage that was sitting atop his desk. The cage began to rattle. "You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them."

Lockhart pulled the red cloak from off of the cage to reveal twenty or so purple pixies. The excited anticipation that had filled the room sizzled away quickly. Shaye rolled her eyes.

"Cornish Pixies?" Seamus laughed.

Sure, pixies were known to be annoying, cunning and hard to handle, but they were the furthest thing from dangerous. 

"Freshly caught Cornish Pixies." Lockhart corrected as if that made any difference at all. "Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnegan, but pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters. Let's see what you make of them."

With that, Lockhart opened the cage and set the pixies loose in the classroom. No matter how harmless they were or weren't, that was a horrible idea. The pixies immediately began darting around the room, tearing up books, knocking things off of shelves and pulling students' hair.

"Come on now, round them up," Lockhart ordered. "They're only pixies."

Before long Neville was surrounded by pixies and they were grabbing onto his ears and hair and dragging him up into the air, higher and higher until he was hanging from the chandelier by his robes. It was oddly reminiscent of the first flying lesson the Gryffindors had taken the previous year.

Within minutes the classroom was utter chaos. Pages upon pages from Lockhart's books were floating in the air and the children were running around and hiding underneath their desks for protection. 

Shaye had nearly gotten her eye poked out by a pixie that had stolen someone's wand and Harry had needed to smack a pixie with a book that was pulling Hermione's hair. Okay, so maybe pixies _were_ dangerous . . . when in the wrong hands.

" _Peskipiksi Pesternomi!_ " Lockhart attempted to cast a spell but before he could fully finish it, one of the pixies had swiped his wand and flown off with it. 

The pixie then used said wand the break the chains that were suspending a large dragon skeleton over the classroom. The skeleton plummeted to the floor and shattered into a million pieces.

Then, as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, Lockhart darted up the steps. "I'll ask you four to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." he looked down at Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione before retreating into his office and locking himself in for safety.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked as he swatted yet another pixie with his textbook.

" _Immobulus!_ " Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a spell that instantly slowed the pixies down, leaving them to float in mid-air, unable to move. 

Neville, who was still hanging from the chandelier, exhaled loudly. "Why is it always me?" he pouted.


	19. The Lost Wanderer

"They were pretty mad, yeah," Shaye explained to Ron and Hermione. She had received the long-anticipated letter from her parents the night before and just as she had expected, they were _not_ happy. From finding Lorelei's bedroom door unlocked to the stunt she, Harry and Ron had pulled with the flying car, they promised a very glum Christmas break when she returned home in December. 

Ron nodded understandingly. Hermione only shrugged, beyond glad that she hadn't been a part of it all. 

Hearing a hushed commotion, the three friends looked up from the bench they were sitting on in the courtyard to see the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain Oliver Wood and the Slytherin team captain Marcus Flint arguing, the remainder of the teams standing by and watching.

"Where do you think you're going, Flint?" Oliver asked as both teams headed toward the pitch in full gear.

"Quidditch practise," Flint answered.

"I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today."

Marcus pulled out a slip of paper from his green Quidditch robes. "Easy, Wood, I've got a note."

"I smell trouble," Ron commented as he led the way over to the two teams. Harry was there, along with Fred and George, and they did not look too pleased. 

Oliver took the piece of paper and read it out loud. "'I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'" he scoffed. "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

On cue, Draco stepped out from the crowd of Slytherins. "Malfoy?" Harry eyed him.

"That's right. And that's not all that's new this year." Draco gestured to the shiny new brooms that he and the rest of the Slytherin team were sporting. 

"Those are Nimbus 2001s," Ron gawked. "How did you get those?"

Marcus smirked. "A gift from Draco's father."

Draco nodded. "You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best."

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in." Hermione retorted. "They got in on pure talent."

Draco stepped toward Hermione, his eyes narrowed. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood."

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy." Ron sneered and rose his broken wand without thinking. " _Eat slugs!_ "

Ron's attempt to stand up for Hermione didn't exactly go as planned. Because of his broken wand, the spell backfired onto himself and Ron flew back a few feet before hitting the ground hard. The Slytherins laughed as Shaye, Harry, Hermione and the Gryffindor team rushed to his aid.

"Ron, are you okay?" Shaye asked.

Ron didn't answer. His face had turned sickly pale and he looked like he was about to vomit. When he finally did open his mouth, a large, slimy slug fell out onto the grass. Everyone backed away a little except for Colin Creevey, who had appeared out of nowhere and was looking to get a picture for the school paper.

"Wow!" Colin exclaimed. "Can you turn him around, Harry?"

"No, Colin, get out of the way!" Harry pushed the first-year back before helping Ron stand to his feet.

Ron promptly threw up another slug. Even Fred and George didn't find it funny; they were grossed out just like everyone else.

"Let's take him to Hagrid's," Harry suggested. "He'll know what to do."

Flanking Ron's other side, Shaye helped Harry get Ron out of the spotlight with Hermione following suit. Together, the group of four headed down the path that led to Hagrid's Hut and prayed he was home, which thankfully, he was.

"This call's for a specialist's equipment," Hagrid had said as he ushered the kids inside. He handed a large bucket to Ron and sat down in his huge armchair opposite the four friends. "Nothing to do but wait till it stops, I'm afraid."

Ron opened his mouth to protest but instead of words, yet another slimy slug came out and fell into the bucket. 

"Better out than in," Hagrid assured Ron. "Who was Ron trying to curse, anyway?"

"Draco Malfoy," Shaye answered. "He called Hermione a . . . well, I don't really feel right saying it."

Harry shook his head. "I don't even know what the word means."

Hermione stood up from the bench she had been sitting on and turned away from everyone, her arms folded across her chest. "He called me a mudblood," she told Hagrid.

Hagrid gasped. "He did not."

"What's a mudblood?" Harry asked.

"It means 'dirty blood.'" Hermione explained, tears welling in her eyes. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who's muggle-born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone like me. It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation."

"See, the thing is, Harry . . . there are some wizards, like the Malfoy family, who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."

Harry's jaw dropped. "That's horrible."

Ron vomited another slug. "It's disgusting."

"And it's codswallop to boot," Hagrid added. "'Dirty blood.' Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half-blood or less. More to the point, they've yet to think of a spell our Hermione can't do. Come here." he held Hermione's small hand in his own. "Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for one minute."

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled softly. Harry was right. Hagrid did know what to do.

"My parents say that families like that are a disgrace to the name of pure-bloods," Shaye said to Harry. "My family is more-or-less pure-blood but, like Ron's family, we don't think that way. It's why Draco's father was so rude to Ron's father at Flourish and Blotts. My dad has had the same conversation with Lucius Malfoy before. He's a foul man with even worse ideologies."

After a little bit more cheering up, Hermione was as good as new and not long after, Ron had, for the most part, stopped producing slugs from his stomach. As Harry and Hermione headed back up to the castle—Hermione to do some homework and Harry to report for his detention with Professor Lockhart—Shaye and Ron stayed behind because they had lucked out with their detention; all they had to do was scrub the feeding bins for Hagrid's many creatures. 

While Ron worked in silence, scrubbing away and slowly returning to a normal colour again with his bucket still beside him just in case, Shaye was working with Hagrid and trying to scrape dried mud off of a large bin. Whatever ate out of that thing was huge and probably not something to be messed with.

"Say, Hagrid." Shaye looked up from what she was doing and gave her arm a break. "Can I ask you something?"

"Well, of course." Hagrid smiled. "What can I do you for?"

Shaye thought for a moment to herself, trying to find the best way to phrase her question. "Have you ever heard of someone called the Lost Wanderer?"

Ron immediately stopped scrubbing and looked to Hagrid, eager to hear what his answer was going to be.

Hagrid kept working as if he had simply been asked what he had eaten for lunch. "Well, of course, I have. One of the biggest rumours surrounding the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who, that is."

Shaye's eyes lit up. She couldn't believe this. Was the Lost Wanderer really something so well heard of? "Who is it?" a million questions buzzed through Shaye's head. "What happened to them?"

"You've never heard the story?" Hagrid asked and Shaye and Ron shook their heads. "Well, keep in mind, this is all hearsay and rumours . . . but as the story goes, the Lost Wanderer was someone who got caught up with You-Know-Who, like many before have. Apparently, this Lost Wanderer went poking their nose in You-Know-Who's business and before anyone knew it, they went missing. No one knows who they are, exactly, but rumour says they haven't been seen since. I'm pretty sure it's a made-up tale that people use to deter others from joining the dark forces but it still sends a shiver up my spine, I'll tell you that."

Shaye recalled the letter she had found word for word in her head. Hagrid's story matched the letter perfectly. The Lost Wanderer had gone missing and You-Know-Who was involved. The only question that remained was, how did Lorelei fit into all of this?

Shaye and Ron shared a confused look.

"Why do you ask?" Hagrid questioned.

"Oh, I had just heard the name somewhere but couldn't find anything about it in any of the books in the library," Shaye said.

Hagrid smiled. "No book'll have that story, that's for sure. Most of 'em were written well before the story ever came into fruition . . . in fact, I believe it's only a few years old or so. There's also a lot of aspects of the story that change with each teller so no one really knows what the truth is or if there even _is_ a truth out there. Like I said, I think it's just a cautionary tale."

Shaye nodded along as she returned to scrubbing. She wanted to get done as quickly as possible so she and Ron could tell Harry and Hermione about the story of the Lost Wanderer. Ron had caught onto Shaye's plan and had shifted into overdrive as well; Shaye even swore she saw him swallow a slug in his mouth so he could keep working. 

In under an hour, Hagrid's feeding bins were spotless and he sent the two on their way so they could head up to the castle for dinner. When Shaye and Ron rushed into the Great Hall they found Hermione waiting for them but Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"We'll go find him," Shaye said as she left the Hall again with Ron and Hermione on her tail, not even bothering to stop and eat anything quickly. "This is important and Harry needs to hear it too. I bet he's still with Lockhart."

Just as Shaye said that, however, she rounded a corner and nearly crashed right into Harry himself. 

Harry's eyes were wide and he looked as if he had just seen a ghost. "Did you hear it?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Ron looked around and listened but there was nothing in the corridor making noise except for the four of them.

"That voice," Harry said.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Voice? What voice?"

"I heard it first in Lockhart's office," Harry spoke as he examined the walls and the ceiling. "And then again just . . . it's moving. I think it's going to kill."

Suddenly, Hagrid's story was the last thing on Shaye's mind. "Harry, you're worrying us," she told him. "What are you talking about? What voice? Who's going to kill?"

Instead of answering, Harry took off at a sprint down the hall, leaving the other three no choice but to chase after him. Harry ran and ran until he came to a corridor filled with water. Shaye's feet splashed in the liquid as she walked to catch up with Harry. Then all of a sudden, he stopped and pointed to where a line of spiders was crawling along the floor, up the wall and out an open window.

Shaye had no idea what it meant or if it was simply something they had come across, but either way, it was definitely a little creepy. But then again, when weren't spiders creepy?"

"Strange," Harry commented. "I've never seen spiders act like that before."

Ron took a step back. "I don't like spiders."

As the four turned to leave, the reflection of something in the water caught their eye. In unison, they all looked up and spotted something much creepier than any spider could ever be. On the wall, written in what looked like blood were the words, **The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir . . . beware.**

"Oh, no." Harry inhaled sharply. Hanging from one of the torches on the wall beside the warning message was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. She did not look good at all. 

It was then that the corridor began to fill with students and teachers returning from the Great Hall, and to say that the four friends found in front of this horrifying scene was unfortunate was a massive understatement. It definitely looked like they had done it.

Madam Pomfrey let out a gasp and Colin was about to snap a picture when one of the older students pushed his camera down. 

"'Enemies of the Heir, beware.'" Draco read aloud. He then looked to Hermione. "You'll be next, mudbloods."

"What's going on here? Go on. Make way." Filch began to push his way through the sea of students. "Potter? What are you . . ." he didn't even finish his threat before spotting Mrs. Norris. He gasped. "Mrs. Norris? You've murdered my cat."

Harry shook his head. "No."

"I'll kill you." Filch threatened and grabbed Harry by the front of his robes. "I'll kill you!"

"Argus!" Dumbledore arrived just in time to put an end to what might have been the public killing of Harry Potter. When he spotted the writing on the wall, he remained calm. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately. Everyone except . . . you four." he pointed at Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

As the prefects ushered the students back to their common rooms, the rest of the professors gathered around the scene. Snape was glaring at Harry, like usual, McGonagall was clutching her chest and Lockhart was inspecting Filch's cat.

"She's not dead, Argus." Dumbledore took one look at Mrs. Norris and determined that. "She has been petrified."

"Thought so." Lockhart piped up. "So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the countercurse that could've spared her."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "But how she has been petrified, I cannot say."

"Ask him." Filch was quick to place the blame on Harry. "It's him that's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall."

"It's not true, sir. I swear." Harry denied. "I never touched Mrs. Norris."

"Rubbish." Filch sneered.

With that, Snape stepped up. "If I might, headmaster?" he began and Shaye got ready to receive a verbal beat-down. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The four friends shared a bewildered look. Had Snape really just suggested they were innocent? Why hadn't he jumped at the chance to accuse them the second the opportunity presented itself?

"However . . ." Snape continued, ". . . the circumstance are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter, Weasley or Frazier at dinner."

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Lockhart admitted. "You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail."

Shaye nodded. "And Ron and I were doing detention with Hagrid. When we returned just in time for dinner, we noticed Harry still wasn't there."

"That's why we went looking for him." Hermione kept the story going. "We'd just found him when he said . . ."

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape inquired.

"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry lied. "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris."

Snape eyed the four children with skepticism before turning to see what Dumbledore thought of the tale; whether it was an excuse or not. 

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Dumbledore said. 

"My cat has been petrified," Filch spoke with tears in his eyes, disproving the theory that he held no emotion other than pure joy at the thought of disciplining students. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Dumbledore assured him. "As I understand it, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrake. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution to all."

When the four students were finally dismissed, they headed right for the staircase that would take them to their common room.

"It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

Harry cocked a brow. "Strange?"

Hermione stopped mid-staircase and turned to Harry. "You hear this voice, a voice only you can hear, and then Mrs. Norris turns up petrified. It's just strange."

"Do you think I should have told them?" Harry questioned. "Dumbledore and the others, I mean."

Ron shook his head. "Are you mad?"

"As if people don't already suspect you enough." Shaye rolled her eyes.

"No, Harry," Hermione told him plainly. "Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign."


	20. The Heir of Slytherin

Shaye wasn't really sure what time it was. All she knew was that it was late.

After returning to the common room with Harry, Ron and Hermione following the incident in the corridor with the message written in blood and the petrified Mrs. Norris, the latter three had decided that they had had enough excitement for one night and shuffled off to bed. Shaye, however, had plopped down in front of the fireplace and read over the Lost Wanderer letter at least twenty more times, reciting the story Hagrid had told at the same time. She was confident there were dots to be connected and all she had to do was find them. 

Shaye nearly fell asleep a couple of times on the couch but still refused to head up to bed until she had _something_. With Harry hearing voices and a new mystery on the rise, she feared that she would soon be too busy with classes and helping her friends find out what the Chamber of Secrets was to focus on her own problems. 

But unfortunately for Shaye, it turned out that she could have sat on that couch for days. In the end, Hagrid's story had provided no more details than she had already had; only confirmed that the letter held some validity to it.

Just as she was about to call it a night, Shaye heard a noise coming from the staircase and looked over to see none other than Fred and George sneaking out of bed. Shaye didn't even have to ask them what they were doing to know that they were up to no good. They were always up to no good.

"What's the plan for tonight, boys?" Shaye stood from the couch.

Fred and George jumped slightly but their worried expressions faded fast when they realized who had spoken. "We thought you were Percy," Fred said. 

George nodded. "He's been trying to catch us leaving the common room for years. Too bad he never thinks to check for a sleeping potion in his evening tea."

"You slip sleeping potions into Percy's tea?" Shaye asked, unsure if she was amused or concerned. Maybe both?

"Only when we plan on sneaking out at night." Fred shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Trust me, if there was a negative side effect, we would have seen it by now."

George snickered. "Yeah, we've been doing it for a while."

Shaye just shook her head and smirked softly. "Well, you two have fun." she folded the letter back up and stuffed it into her pocket. 

Fred and George eyed the girl, noticing the bags under her eyes and stress visible in her green eyes. "You should come with us," George suggested. "You look like you could use some cheering up."

Fred nodded in agreement. "It's bound to be a spectacular prank; one of our best. Filch is gonna hate it. Would be a shame to miss it."

Shaye opened her mouth to politely decline when she found herself seriously considering the offer. While sleep was an extremely tempting option, the thought of getting to have a little fun wasn't something that Shaye was about to turn down. She could use something to get her mind off of everything. 

"Okay." she agreed. "But we're not going to prank Filch."

Fred and George smirked. "We're interested." 

Approximately an hour later, Shaye, Fred and George were standing just outside of Lockhart's office, admiring their work. Fred and George's plan to jinx the desk chair so that it would roll away whenever someone tried to sit on it and bewitch the door to knock every five minutes was a very good start, but it simply wasn't enough. 

That's when Shaye debuted the trickster that lived deep within her; a trait she hadn't really known she possessed until that very moment.

First, Shaye put a spell on all of the pictures that Lockhart had displayed around the office of himself (which was a lot) so that his smile was crooked and completely unattractive. It was a small detail but Shaye was sure it would drive him crazy. Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award winner no more.

After a few extra finishing touches, like colour-changing potion in Lockhart's hair product bottles that he kept strewn around, the trio stood in the doorway and took one last look at the office. It looked completely untouched (except for the photos, but you had to really look closely to notice the changes) but the hidden surprises really were a work of art. 

Most importantly, Shaye wasn't thinking about letters or the Dark Lord or even petrified cats in the slightest.

"I could get used to this," Shaye said before closing the office door and re-locking it with a quick spell that Hermione had taught her (sadly, not before she had most needed it when sneaking into her sister's bedroom.)

"You hear that, Fred?" George smirked. "I think we've got an apprentice."

After sneaking back through the halls and into the Gryffindor common room, Shaye thanked the twins for letting her tag along before parting ways and disappearing into the girls' dormitory. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light. 

═══════════════

The next morning, Shaye was in much better spirits than she had been. Anticipation to find out what had happened to Lockhart when he had entered his office that day coursed through her. Was this how Fred and George felt all the time?

Shaye was in such a good mood, in fact, that during Transfiguration class she wasn't even worried about living up to her sister's unmatchable talent in said subject, like usual. 

"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall stepped past the many birdcages she kept in the room (which housed birds that were used to practice transfiguration on) and took her place at the front of the class. "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets. Like so."

McGonagall turned to the large, exotic bird perched upon her desk and performed a simple series of wand movement. "One, two, three. _Vera Verto_ ," she said and the bird turned into a perfect replica of a steel water goblet.

The class was amazed.

"Now it's your turn." McGonagall turned to the rows of students. "Who would like to go first. Mr. Weasley," she called on him. "One, two, three. Vera Verto."

Clearing his throat, Ron pulled out his broken wand (which was still taped together, this time only marginally better than it had been last time he had tried to use it) and pointed it at his pet rat Scabbers. He waved his wand at the rodent three times before saying, " _Vera Verto_."

Scabbers let out a squeak as he transformed into a brown, furry goblet with a tail. Definitely not the desired result. Harry chuckled.

"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall told him before turning to Shaye. "How about you, Miss Frazier. Care to give it a go?"

Shaye picked up her wand from her desk and nodded. She could feel the class' eyes on her but tried her best not to let it get to her. " _Vera Verto_." she flicked her wand at the small bird perched on the desk between Hermione and herself.

Thankfully, the bird turned into a steel goblet just like it was supposed to. There was a stray feather on the backside but McGonagall wasn't able to see it. 

"Well done." McGonagall nodded. "Five points to Gryffindor for an excellent transformation."

Shaye flashed a relieved smile and set her wand back down, thankful that she had impressed her professor and the majority of the class.

As McGonagall searched for the next student to take their turn at the spell, Hermione rose her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?" McGonagall called on her.

"Professor . . . I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione requested.

All side-conversations came to an abrupt end and all heads turned toward McGonagall. 

"Very well." McGonagall surprisingly agreed, possibly swayed by the overwhelming interest from the students and the current relevance of the topic. "Well, you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not."

"Three guesses who," Ron whispered.

McGonagall continued. "Salazar Slytherin wished to be selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, pure-bloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true Heir returned to the school. The Heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggle-borns," Hermione said. 

McGonagall nodded. "Well . . . naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor?" Hermione asked. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?"

"The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control," McGonagall answered. "It is said to be the home of a monster."

As soon as the tale was over, Ron not-so-subtly looked back at Draco who, of course, was smiling from ear to ear. That blonde little twat would love nothing more than to unleash a monster that would purge the school of all muggle-borns.

Once the class had been dismissed, Shaye met up with her friends in the hall and they walked together, keeping their voices down as they discussed what they had just been told.

"Do you think it's true?" Ron questioned; the idea of a hidden monster in the castle somewhere clearly unsettling him a little. "Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes," Hermione stated confidently. "Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are."

Shaye thought back to the night before. "She's right. Snape was so thrown that he even pretended to believe we were innocent last night."

"If there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it really has been opened, that means-" Harry started.

"-the Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts." Hermione cut him off. "The question is, who is it?"

Ron rolled his eyes. The answer was obvious to him. "Let's think. Who do we know who thinks all muggle-borns are scum?"

Hermione scoffed. "If you're talking about Malfoy-"

"Of course. You heard him. 'You'll be next, mudbloods.'"

"I heard him," Hermione said. "But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?"

"I can't think of anyone else," Shaye admitted.

Harry shrugged lazily. "Maybe Ron's right, Hermione. I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries. "

"Crabbe and Goyle must know," Ron said. "Maybe we can trick them into telling."

Hermione chuckled. "Even they aren't that thick. But there might be another way. Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules and it'll be dangerous. Very dangerous."

"That pretty much sums up everything we've done in this bloody castle since our first day here." Shaye reminder her. "I think we're past difficult, against the rules and dangerous by now. What is it?"

═══════════════

"Here it is." Hermione bustled across the library with a book in her hands. "The Polyjuice Potion. 'Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another.'"

Ron's eyes widened. "You mean if Harry and I drink that stuff, we'll turn into Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Yes."

Ron grinned. "Wicked! Malfoy will tell us anything."

"Exactly," Hermione confirmed, a slight look of worry still present on her face. "But it's tricky. I've never seen a more complicated potion."

"Well, how long will it take to make?" Harry inquired.

"A month."

"A month?" Shaye repeated. "That's crazy. So much could happen before then."

Harry nodded in agreement. He looked around to make sure no one was listening in and lowered his voice before saying this next bit. "But, Hermione, if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the muggle-borns in the school by then."

Hermione shrugged sadly. "I know. But it's the only plan we've got."


	21. In Broad Daylight

It was a warm, overcast day on the grounds of Hogwarts and when Shaye had a million other things to do, like potions homework and solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her sister, she instead found herself jammed in the Quidditch stands, ready to watch yet another brutal Gryffindor versus Slytherin match.

This would be the first game that Harry would be battling it out against Draco in search of the Snitch.

By then, Shaye had gotten so used to the Quidditch matches that she knew the player's names and the rules of the sport. However, that didn't make her any sort of devoted fan, like some students. Hermione was much of the same; pretty uninterested but supportive because Harry and Ron loved it so much. Not to mention, Harry was actually on the team and it would be rude if they didn't show up to watch him play. 

Besides, whenever Gryffindor played, it was usually bound to be an interesting match. 

Things this time, however, weren't shaping up quite as the Gryffindors had hoped. Thirty minutes into the game and Slytherin was dominating. It was almost kind of hard to watch. The worst part was, it wasn't that the Gryffindor's were playing poorly at all—in fact, most of the players were performing really well. The problem laid with the new brooms that the Slytherins had been gifted from Draco's father. Their brooms were simply much faster than the Gryffindors' brooms. 

_"Another goal for Slytherin!"_ Lee Jordan announced. _"They lead Gryffindor ninety to thirty."_

The Slytherin team did a celebratory lap around the pitch before the match continued. That was when Harry nearly got hit in the head with a Bludger; a Bludger that then looped back around and snapped off the front end of Oliver Wood's broom, sending him into a spiral toward the ground.

The Bludger then went after Harry again . . . and again . . . and again. Harry tried to fly away but the ball just chased him through the air. Harry looped in and out of the stands to try and shake his pursuer but he just couldn't manage it.

"Blimey!" Hagrid watched the scene through his binoculars. "Harry's got himself a rogue Bludger. That's been tampered with, that has!"

"I'll stop it." Ron pulled out his wand.

Hermione took one look at the broken wand and pushed Ron's arm down. "No!" she told him. "Even with a proper wand, it's too risky. You could hit Harry."

The Bludger smashed through the stands, sending chunks of wood raining down on Harry. Finally, however, Harry was able to trick the Bludger and send it flying through the Ravenclaw stands and out of the pitch. It was quick to return, however, and just in time for Harry to spot the Snitch. 

Harry and Draco soared after the Snitch, pushing each other and trying to knock one another off of their broom. At one point, the two even dropped below the pitch into the wooden support beams below, the Bludger crashing after them all the while. 

When the two finally resurfaced, Draco had been thrown from his broom and Harry was quickly catching up with the Snitch. Harry reached out his arm for the little golden ball, his focus so tunnelled that he didn't even see the Bludger coming at him from the side.

The rogue ball smashed into Harry's arm hard but he persevered, clutching his injured arm to his chest and reaching out with his other arm this time. He was so close to catching it . . . and then he slipped under his broom, dragged along the terrain a little and landed in the sand. 

Everyone gasped, but the news wasn't all bad. Everyone had been so busy watching Harry fall that they hadn't seen him snatch the Snitch out of the air as he descended.

_"Harry Potter has caught the Golden Snitch. Gryffindor wins!"_

Everyone cheered as the rogue Bludger appeared out of nowhere, as determined as ever to hit Harry. Harry rolled left and right, dodging the ball as it smashed over and over again into the sand, aiming for his head each time but just missing.

Worried for their friend, Shaye, Ron, Hermione and even Hagrid rushed down from the stands and onto the pitch. 

" _Finite Incantatem!_ " Hermione pointed her wand at the Bludger and the blood-thirsty ball exploded into a million little pieces that drifted down peacefully into the sand.

"Is your arm all right, Harry?" Shaye asked. 

Harry shook his head, his arm still clutched tightly to his chest. "No. I think my arm is broken."

"Not to worry, Harry. I will fix that arm of yours straight away." Lockhart dropped down onto his knees next to Harry as he and a crowd of teachers and students gathered around. It was then that Shaye spotted a bit of green in Lockhart's hair and had to fight to contain her laughter. The prank had worked, after all. 

Harry looked even more scared than he had been when the Bludger had been after him. "No. Not you."

Lockhart just chuckled airily. "Boy doesn't know what he's saying." he took Harry's arm in his hands and pushed the sleeve of his Quidditch uniform up. "This won't hurt a bit."

Shaye, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid all shared a concerned look as Lockhart drew his wand and aimed it at Harry's arm. " _Brackium Emendo!_ " Lockhart recited and a blue glow poured from the end of his wand. 

When Lockhart held Harry's arm up to show that it was all better, it instead flopped to the side like it was made completely of jello. Harry stared at his boneless arm in complete and utter shock. 

"Yes, well, that can sometimes happen." Lockhart tried to play it off as if it were normal, which it most certainly was not. "But the point is . . ." he bent Harry's hand all the way back until it was resting upon his forearm, ". . . you can no longer feel any pain, and, very clearly, the bones are not broken."

"Broken?" Hagrid scoffed. "There's no bones left."

Lockhart stared down at Harry's arm one last time. "Much more flexible, though," he said.

Minutes later, Harry was being swept off toward the hospital wing. Thankfully, as Lockhart had said, Harry wasn't in any more pain . . . but he certainly wasn't better, either.

A few beds down from Harry, Draco was moaning and groaning, dragging out his non-existent injuries from when he had fallen from his broom. If anything, he had gotten the wind knocked out of him and that was it.

"Mr. Malfoy, stop making such a fuss. You can go." Madam Pomfrey glared at the melodramatic boy as she rushed over to Harry's bed with a bottle of something in her hand. "Should have been brought straight to me." she huffed as she pushed her way through the gathering of people around Harry's bed. "I can mend bones in a heartbeat, but growing them back . . ."

"You will be able to, won't you?" Hermione asked.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "I'll be able to, certainly. But it'll be painful." she poured the contents of the bottle into a cup and handed it to Harry. "You're in for a rough night, Potter. Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

Harry took a large sip of whatever was in the glass he had been given but as soon as the liquid met his tastebuds, he spat it out, nearly spraying Fred, George and Dean. Harry shuddered at the horrible taste.

"Well, what do you expect? Pumpkin juice?" Madam Pomfrey took the glass from Harry and refilled it. 

As Harry gulped down the foul-tasting liquid, Madam Pomfrey shooed everyone else out of the hospital wing so Harry could get some rest. 

With Harry spending the night in the hospital wing, Shaye, Ron and Hermione returned to their common room and decided on an early night. 

═══════════════

The next day, as soon as Harry had been released from Madam Pomfrey's careful watch with an arm full of brand new bones, he was eager to share with his friends everything that had happened during the night. Turns out, he had had a very eventful evening in the hospital wing.

Harry shared the return of Dobby the house-elf, who had confessed to tampering with the Bludger during the Quidditch match in hopes to scare Harry away from Hogwarts. Dobby warned Harry that he was not safe at Hogwarts; not when history was doomed to repeat itself . . . whatever that meant.

The other development, this one more serious than the last in many ways, was that someone else in the school had been targeted and petrified, and this time it was a student. Poor little Colin Creevey had been found in the corridor with his camera in hand, a look of pure terror frozen on his face.

"That's when Dumbledore said that the school was no longer safe," Harry said as he, Shaye, Ron and Hermione gathered in the abandoned girls' bathroom to begin brewing the Polyjuice Potion. "Then he said the Chamber of Secrets had been opened again."

"Again?" Hermione asked. "You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?"

Ron watched as Hermione carefully stirred the contents of her cauldron. "Of course," he said as if it were obvious. "Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here. And now he's taught Draco how to do it."

"Maybe." Shaye was unsure one way or the other. Instead of making an actual opinion, she adjusted the flame under Hermione's cauldron and handed her the next ingredient. 

"We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure," Hermione said.

Ron leaned against one of the many empty stalls and crossed his arms. "Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight in the middle of the girls' lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught?"

Shaye and Hermione chuckled.

"No," Shaye answered. "No one ever comes in here."

Ron furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Moaning Myrtle," Hermione stated.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?"

As if on cue, the ghost of the former Hogwarts student emerged from one of the stalls. Myrtle was a rather plain-looking girl with her brown hair in pigtails and her wide eyes framed by a pair of large, round glasses. Now, as a ghost, she was simply a transparent, black and white projection of the girl she used to be.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle." Myrtle shrieked, making Ron jump a little. Myrtle then floated up above the large, round sink fixture in the middle of the room. "I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?"

Myrtle let out a high-pitched cry before darting back to the stall and disappearing down one of the toilets, which caused the water inside to slosh up over the edges and onto the tile floor.

"She's a little sensitive," Hermione warned a tad too late.

Ron fell silent and remained that way for the rest of the brewing session. When the potion was finally done—or more accurately, as done as it could be for the time being—the four friends packed up their supplies and started toward the Great Hall where their Defence Against the Dark Arts class would be taking place that day.

Another class with Lockhart. What could possibly go wrong?


	22. Burnt Down and Risen from the Ashes

The Great Hall had been done up in a way that Shaye had never seen it before. The usually brightly lit room with long picnic-style tables that sat hundreds of Hogwarts students was now dark and dimly lit by the flaming torches on the walls. The tables had been replaced with one long blue catwalk stage in the middle of the room that depicted stars and the various stages of the moon cycle from crescent to full. 

Already, Shaye could tell that this wasn't about to be a normal Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Plenty of other students from different houses and different years had been invited to whatever was taking place. Even Fred and George were there.

"Gather round!" Lockhart strode across the stage as the students crowded around it. "Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" There was an abundance of nodding heads in the audience. "Excellent. In light of the dark events in recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves . . . as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works."

Lockhart then untied the half-cape that he had been wearing over his left shoulder and tossed it into the crowd. A group of girls gasped and grabbed at the article of clothing wildly. Suddenly, this class had turned into a Lockhart Fanclub meeting. 

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap." a boy from Hufflepuff turned to Harry and Shaye. "Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hufflepuff." he introduced himself. 

Harry shook Justin's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm-"

"I know who you are." Justin smiled. "We all do. Even us muggle-borns. "

"Let me introduce my assistant!" Lockhart continued, cutting Harry and Justin's conversation short. "Professor Snape."

Slowly, Snape stepped up onto the stage, his black robes flowing behind him. The Slytherin students started to whisper.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration," Lockhart said. "Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear."

A hush fell over the students as Lockhart and Snape drew their wands and stepped to the middle of the long, rectangular catwalk. At once, they rose their wands in front of their faces, held them at their sides and bowed. Then they turned, took five steps away in the opposite direction of one another, and spun to face each other once more. 

"One. Two. Three!" Lockhart exclaimed.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Snape cast the first spell, which sent a wave of gold light shooting from the tip of his wand. Lockhart flew back through the air about a meter or so before landing hard on his back.

Shaye couldn't help but laugh. Despite how much she disliked Snape, there was no doubt that watching Lockhart get knocked onto his behind was an enjoyable sight to behold.

Lockhart let out a low groan as he began to push himself back up onto his feet.

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione asked, genuinely worried.

Ron snickered. "Who cares?"

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," Lockhart said as he walked back to the middle of the stage. It was obvious he was hiding just how much pain he was in. "But if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy."

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor," Snape suggested. 

Lockhart was silent for a moment before grinning wide. "An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

Harry and Ron started to move toward the stage.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox," Snape said as he searched the Slytherin crowd. "Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"

With a swift spin on his heel, Snape turned to face Draco and jabbed his thumb backward, motioning for the blonde boy to get out of the audience and up onto the stage.

As Lockhart and Snape stood on the far ends of the stage just in case something went wrong, Harry and Draco stepped up to face one another in the centre. 

"Wands at the ready," Lockhart announced and Harry and Draco performed the same series of wand movements as Lockhart and Snape had earlier. Wands up to their faces, down by their sides, bow.

"Scared, Potter?" Draco sneered.

Harry didn't even blink. "You wish."

The two boys then turned away from each other, took five paces, and spun back around. 

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here," Lockhart started. "One. Two . . ."

Before Lockhart even got to three, Draco rose his wand and shouted, " _Everte Statum!_ "

Purple light shot out of Draco's wand and Harry was thrown into the air, doing two or three backflips before landing back onto the stage. It was almost a complete repeat of what had happened to Lockhart.

The Gryffindors gasped while the Slytherins laughed. For a while, Harry just laid there, catching his breath. Shaye began to worry that he was actually hurt really bad but then the black-haired boy sat up, his face plastered with anger and a thirst for revenge.

Harry stood to his feet and pointed his wand at Draco. " _Rictusempra!_ "

Another flash of purple light and this time it was Draco who was hurtling through the air. More gasps and more laughter, but this time from opposite ends of the audience. 

Draco landed right in front of Snape, who grabbed the boy his robes and dragged him to his feet again. The two boys got ready to continue battling it out.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart reminded them, but for Harry and Draco, this was more than a simple Dueling Club; this was their first real chance to do to each other what they had been wanting to do since the second they met.

" _Serpensortia!_ " Draco yelled and out of the tip of his wand flew a snake. 

The large serpent landed between Harry and Draco and the audience immediately backed away from the stage. The snake, which looked to be some sort of cobra, let out a hiss as it slithered toward Harry.

Harry lowered his wand and backed away.

Snape glared at Draco. "Don't move, Potter," he approached the snake. "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart butted in. " _Alarte Ascendare!_ " he cast a spell at the snake that merely shot it up a few meters above the stage before it came right back, now even angrier than before.

The snake turned to face Justin from Hufflepuff and began to slither toward the edge of the stage. Before either one of the professors could step in to do something, Harry approached the serpent and began to speak in an airy, hissing voice that no one else could understand. Somehow, Harry was speaking Parseltongue.

Harry continued to speak to the snake and the snake continued to advance on Justin. Then, as if Harry had finally gotten through to the animal, it turned to face Harry and closed its mouth, hiding its fangs. The snake flicked its tongue out at Harry, waiting for him to say something else, but before he could, Snape stepped in.

" _Vipera Evanesca._ " Snape pointed his wand at the serpent and it burst into flames before turning to ash on the stage. 

"What are you playing at?" Justin looked up at Harry, clearly under the impression that Harry had been telling the snake to attack him.

Harry shook his head, unsure what to say or do. Just like everyone else, he was at a loss for words to try and explain what had just happened. 

Tucking his wand away, Harry rushed from the stage and out of the Great Hall. Shaye, Ron and Hermione followed him all the way back to the Gryffindor common room.

As soon as the four friends were alone, Ron grabbed Harry's shoulder to stop him. "You're a Parselmouth?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Harry's face flushed. "I'm a what?"

"You can talk to snakes." Hermione simplified. 

Harry furrowed his brows, clearly not grasping the severity of the situation. "I know," he said. "I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. Once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it."

"No, they can't," Shaye told him. "It's not like a spell. You can't learn it. You have to be born with it."

"Right." Hermione nodded. "And it's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad."

Harry shook his head. He still wasn't understanding what was going on. "What's bad?" he asked. "If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"-oh, that's what you said to it," Ron's face flushed with understanding.

"You were there. You heard me."

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," Ron retorted. "Snake language."

Harry gasped. "I spoke a different language? But I didn't realize . . . how can I speak a language without knowing I can?"

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione answered, "but it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too."

Ron nodded. "Exactly. Now the whole school's gonna think you're his great-great-great-grandson or something."

"But I'm not!" Harry denied. "I can't be."

"He lived a thousand years ago," Shaye said with a shrug. "For all we know, you could be."

Harry shook his head and with a confused and hurt look in his eyes, left the common room. No one had any idea where he had went, as Shaye, Ron and Hermione had decided to give him his space and not chase him down again. 

It wasn't until later that night during study period when he showed up again, but he didn't have much to say; and thanks to the no-talking rule in the study hall, he couldn't even if he wanted to. 

The incident from that day hadn't soon been forgotten, however. Every time Harry looked over his shoulder, someone from one of the other tables was staring at him. Most of the school was under the assumption that Harry had been telling that snake to attack Justin and just like that, as quickly as Harry had been to blame Draco for the recent dangerous happenings, everyone else was quick to blame him.

Shaye, Ron and Hermione tried to be as supportive as possible but even they didn't have all the facts. They knew that Harry wouldn't willingly try to kill any mudbloods or cause harm to the school but they also didn't have any further leads on anyone else; not until that Polyjuice Potion was ready.

Tired of the prying eyes and silent accusations, Harry closed up his notepad and gathered his belongings. "I'll see you in the common room," he said. As he walked out of the room, everyone watched him go.

"I think I should go talk to him." Shaye began to gather her things as well. "He needs a friend right now."

Ron and Hermione nodded and whispered that they would see her and Harry back in the common room as soon as they were finished.

As Shaye stood up from her seat and started for the exit, she overheard a group of Hufflepuffs mumbling to each other. "So anyway, I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory," a Hufflepuff boy said. "I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best he keeps a low profile for a while."

"But why would he want to attack Justin?" the girl across from him asked.

"Well, Justin let it slip to Potter that he was muggle-born."

"And you definitely think Potter's the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Hannah, he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

"Harry always seems so nice, though," the girl, Hannah, said. "And, after all, he is the one who made You-Know-Who disappear."

The boy rolled his eyes. "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him."

Having heard quite enough, Shaye cleared her throat and the table of Hufflepuffs looked up at her, wide-eyed and caught red-handed. Shaye glared down at the boy and instantly recognized him from Charms class. 

"Maybe if you spent less time making up absurd rumours and more time studying and paying attention in class, you wouldn't be cramming last-minute for the Charms test tomorrow." Shaye eyed the boy's Charms textbook and notebook, which was filled with frantic scribbles that were barely legible. "Not that it matters, though. I've seen your technique. You're going to fail anyway."

A few of the other students from different houses snickered, including Ron, Fred, and George, and with that, Shaye stuck her nose up at the rude boy and went after Harry before the teacher could kick her out for being disruptive. 

Shaye didn't have to look very hard, however, because as it turned out, Harry had been standing right outside the room and had heard everything that had been said. 

Shaye smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I could have been a little nicer about that."

For the first time that day, Harry cracked a smile. "No, I think it was brilliant. Thank you."

"It was the truth, though." Shaye shrugged as she and Harry started down the hall. "He is quite rubbish at Charms. He's even worse than Ron if you can believe it."

Harry nodded as the two turned a corner and headed up a small flight of steps.

"They're just all scared so they're lashing out at you," Shaye explained. "It'll blow over before you know it."

Harry opened his mouth to say something in return, but before he could get a single syllable out, Hagrid rounded a corner and nearly crashed into them. "Oh, hello." Hagrid looked down at the two, a smile on his face and a dead hen in his hand. "You all right?"

"Hagrid, what are you doing here?" Harry asked as he eyed the hen.

Hagrid held up the dead bird. "Second one killed this term. I reckon it's either a fox or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear. So, I've just been up at Dumbledore's getting permission to put a little charm round the old hen-coop." He then noticed the glump look on Harry's face. "You sure you're all right? You look awful hot and bothered."

Shaye was about to explain to Hagrid what had been going on but Harry spoke first. "It's nothing." he lied. "Look, we'd better get going. We've got a lot of studying."

With that, Harry clasped his hand around Shaye's wrist and dragged her up the steps with him. Hagrid watched the two leave, obviously having sensed the tension. 

As soon as Shaye and Harry reached the top of the staircase and turned into the adjoining corridor, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, his face scrunched up like he was focusing really hard on something.

"Harry, what is it?" Shaye asked.

Harry didn't answer. Instead, he placed his hands upon the stone wall and listened carefully. He was obviously hearing something but, of course, Shaye was none-the-wiser. As Harry moved along the wall, Shaye simply followed.

When the two turned into the next corridor, they came across something that neither one of them had been expecting. 

Floating in mid-air with his head lolled to the side, Nearly Headless Nick was turning in slow circles, his body frozen and transparent steam billowing from his neck. Nick wasn't the only victim, however. On the floor next to the ghost, petrified with his arms outstretched and a look of pure fear etched onto his face was Justin. 

"Oh, no." Shaye gasped.

Harry bent down beside Justin and that's when Filch rounded the corner.

"Caught in the act," Filch grumbled, startling both Shaye and Harry. "I'll have you out this time, Potter. You and your little accomplice, here. Mark my words."

"No. Mr. Filch!" Harry tried to explain himself but Filch was already returning down the hall from which he had come. "You don't understand."

Harry's pleas fell on deaf ears and as he let out a defeated sigh, he noticed yet another trail of spiders. Once again, they were crawling along the floor, up the wall and out the window. 

"Everyone is going to think we're both responsible for this," Harry said. "The way you stood up for me just now. It makes it seem like we're in on this together."

Shaye looked from Harry to Justin to the spiders. "They'll think I've gone bad just like my sister . . . that the Sorting Hat should have put us both in Slytherin."

Filch returned seconds later with McGonagall on his heels. The head of Gryffindor house gasped at the sight of Sir Nicholas and Justin. She then rounded on Shaye and Harry, horror and disbelief in her eyes.

"We swear it wasn't us." Shaye tried to tell her. 

McGonagall simply shook her head. "This is out of my hands."

Shaye and Harry were immediately taken away to Dumbledore's office. Both students were terrified about what was going to happen to them, the only silver lining in sight being that they were, _indeed_ , in this together.

"Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you." McGonagall stopped in front of the golden gargoyle that concealed the staircase to Dumbledore's office. 

When Shaye and Harry had stepped into the entrance, just below the gargoyle, McGonagall said, "Sherbert Lemon." and the gargoyle began to turn, rising up and up and revealing a twisting stone staircase. 

When the staircase finally stopped spinning and the two second-years had reached the top, they stepped out from under the gargoyle and up to a large wooden door. When they entered the office, it was completely dark, save for a single light that illuminated the desk on the far side.

A wall of books and various other items circled around the desk. On one of the highest shelves, the Sorting Hat came to life and looked down on to the two Gryffindors. "Bee in your bonnets?" it asked.

Shaye and Harry looked to one another and without words, they knew they were thinking the same thing. "We were just wondering if you put us in the right house." Shaye stared up at the hat.

The hat wrinkled, making it look as if it were deep in thought. "Yes. The both of you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said last year. You would have done well in Slytherin."

Harry shook his head for the both of them. "You're wrong."

Turning away from the hat, Shaye spotted a magnificent red bird perched beside Dumbledore's desk. Shaye was sure she had seen it in one of her books before but she was blanking on the name. So instead, she settled on simply enjoying the bird's beauty.

Harry stepped over to the perch as well, but as soon as he did, the bird burst into flames and reduced to a pile of ash on the perch—much like the snake had during the Dueling Club. Shaye and Harry jumped back, horrified. Had they done something wrong?

"Harry? Shaye?" Dumbledore appeared on a small platform above his desk.

"Professor." Harry looked from Dumbledore to where the bird had been seconds ago. "Your bird . . . there was nothing we could do. He just caught fire."

Dumbledore nodded. "And about time too. He's been looking dreadful for days. Pity you had to see him on a burning day."

That's when Shaye remembered what she had read. "Was your bird a phoenix?" she asked.

"Yes, very good." Dumbledore began to descend the staircase from the platform above. "Fawkes is a phoenix. They burst into flame when it is time for them to die and then they are reborn from the ashes."

Just then, the pile of ashes began to twitch and just had Dumbledore had said, a baby phoenix emerged from them. It let out a small sound and Dumbledore smiled down at the tiny creature. 

"Fascinating creatures, phoenixes," Dumbledore commented. "They can carry immensely heavy loads. Their tears have healing powers."

Hearing the office door slam open, Shaye and Harry turned to see Hagrid rushing through the doorway, his large build barely allowing him entry. "Professor Dumbledore, sir!" he seemed in a panic. "Wait. Listen. It wasn't Harry or Shaye."

"Hagrid-" Dumbledore started.

"In fact, I'd be prepared to swear it in front of the Ministry of Magic."

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore had to shout to get Hagrid to stop rambling. "Relax. I do not believe that Harry or Shaye attacked anyone."

Hagrid let out a relieved sigh. "Of course you don't. And . . . oh, right. Well, I'll . . . I'll just wait outside then."

After whatever that weird interaction had just been, Hagrid did as he said we would and exited the office to wait outside. Once he was gone, Harry looked up at Dumbledore.

"You don't think it was us, professor?" Harry questioned.

"No," Dumbledore answered. "I do not think it was either of you or, for that matter, the both of you together. But I must ask you . . . is there something you wish to tell me?"

"No," Shaye answered. She then looked to Harry and swallowed hard. Was he going to admit to being able to speak Parseltongue? But surely Dumbledore knew that already seeing as it was going around the school like a bad case of dragon pox. Was there something else Harry was hiding that not even Shaye knew about?

Harry just shook his head. "No, sir. Nothing."

"Very well, then. Off you go."


	23. PolyJuice Potion

As the holiday season rolled around and fresh, sparkling white snow covered the school grounds, the rumours surrounding Harry being the Heir of Slytherin hadn't died down in the slightest. In fact, Shaye had even heard a few people whispering about _her_ in the corridors. 

Despite the fact that the teachers and Dumbledore knew that Shaye and Harry weren't behind the attack of Sir Nicholas and Justin—or any of the other ones, for that matter—the student body persisted in believing the outlandish tales that depicted Shaye and Harry as an evil, mudblood murdering duo.

Standing on one of the outdoor stone balconies, Shaye pulled her scarlet and gold scarf tighter around her neck and watched as a herd of white horses trotted across the snow-covered field, pulling sleds full of students behind them as they went. It was a good distraction from the wandering eyes she could see in her peripheral vision. 

Shaye felt an overwhelming surge of embarrassment and shame whenever she was out with a crowd of other students, which was most of the day during classes, in the halls and even in the common room on occasion. Compared to Harry, she was only the butt of a few jokes and rumours here and there so she couldn't possibly imagine how he was feeling.

Thankfully, Ron and Hermione were there to help as best they could. 

"Hey, look, everyone." George laughed as he and Fred passed by. "It's the Heir of Slytherin."

Fred chuckled. "Be careful. He's a seriously dangerous wizard."

"Don't forget about his partner in crime," George added. "She's as cold-blooded as they come."

Shaye felt her ears burn red hot. Her once seemingly heroic act of telling off that Hufflepuff boy in the study hall was now seen in the public eye as a peek into her 'volatile' nature. There was a nasty rumour going around about Shaye having actually been the one to go after Justin because of what his friends had said, and although she didn't know who had started it, she was inclined to believe it was Ron's stupid twin brothers, who had been there to witness the scene with their own eyes.

One minute Shaye had been friends with Fred and George, sneaking out to prank Lockhart with them, and the next she, along with Harry, was their own personal laughing stock.

Hearing the twins' irritating snickering from behind, Shaye drew her wand and rounded on them. She knew that even though she never planned on actually performing a spell on them that the act only furthered the public's rotten opinion of her, but right then she just wanted everyone to leave her alone.

Fred and George winced slightly before retreating back into the castle, as did a few other students.

"Come on, guys. Fred and George were just having a laugh," Ron said in hopes to cheer the two glum friends up.

Harry scoffed. "They're the only ones."

"Okay, so half the school thinks you're nipping off to the Chamber of Secrets every night." Ron shrugged. "Who cares?"

"Maybe they're right," Harry said before clarifying. "About me, not you, Shaye."

Then Harry stormed off. Shaye, Ron and Hermione followed him. 

"Harry!" Hermione called after him, but he didn't stop. "Oh, come on."

"Look, I didn't know I could speak Parseltongue." Harry snapped. "What else don't I know about myself? Look . . . maybe you can do something, even something horrible, and not know you did it."

Hermione shook her head. "You don't believe that, Harry. I know you don't. And if it makes you feel any better, Malfoy's staying for the holidays too."

Ron furrowed his brows. "Why would that make anyone feel any better?"

"Because in a few days the Polyjuice Potion will be ready." Hermione clarified. "In a few days, we may truly know who is the Heir of Slytherin."

And thus, Shaye was suckered into spending yet another Christmas at Hogwarts, which really wasn't all that bad. Shaye had to work hard to convince her parents since she was supposed to be grounded over winter break and all, but they finally agreed to let her stay if she accepted that another week would be added onto her grounding when she returned for the summer.

Shaye knew that this meant she would be spending most of her summer inside, sitting in her room, but she also knew she couldn't miss out on getting a chance to use the Polyjuice Potion. Hermione had made enough for all four of them to use and Shaye had a plan of her own to carry out while Harry and Ron were speaking to Draco.

But until then, the four friends were content with just enjoying the holidays.

Christmas dinner at Hogwarts was fantastic, as were all the meals served there, and with a large majority of the students back home, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione had a whole big section of the Gryffindor table to themselves. Their plates were piled high, they had their own cake, and they had even gotten their hands on some holiday poppers and small gifts that were being handed out.

However, cake and presents weren't all that was on their minds.

"Everything's set." Hermione lowered her voice, referring to the potion. "We just need a bit of who you're changing into."

"Crabbe and Goyle," Harry said.

Hermione nodded. "We also need to make sure that the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating Malfoy."

"How?" Ron asked.

"We've got it all worked out." Shaye grinned and pulled out two small cupcakes that she had stashed away. "We filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught."

"Simple but powerful," Hermione added as she took the cupcakes from Shaye's hand and placed them on the table. "Now, once they're asleep, hide them in the broomstick cupboard and pull out a few of their hairs and put on their uniforms."

Ron looked perplexed. "Whose hair are you ripping out, then?"

"We've already got ours," Hermione told them and pulled a vial out of her pocket which contained a single hair. "Millicent Bulstrode. Slytherin. I got this off her robes."

Shaye pulled a vial out of her pocket as well. "Pansy Parkinson. Also Slytherin."

"We're going to go check on the Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said as she and Shaye stood from the table. "Make sure that Crabbe and Goyle find these." she pushed the cupcakes toward them. 

While Shaye and Hermione retrieved a few sets of Slytherin robes and returned to the same girls' lavatory where they had first met Moaning Myrtle, Harry and Ron went off to complete their task. By the time the potion was finished and Shaye had laid out four glasses, the boys returned with the hairs from Crabbe and Goyle.

"What are those?" Ron pointed to the clothes on the ground.

"Slytherin robes," Shaye answered. "We had to sneak them from the laundry."

As Hermione gave the potion one final stir, she lifted the ladle to show off the chunky green concoction that had been hiding under the cauldron smoke. It didn't look appetizing in the slightest.

"Are we going to drink that?" Harry shuddered just by looking at it.

Hermione's face soured as she let some of the slop pour from the ladle back into the cauldron. "Mmhmm." she nodded. "We'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves."

With that, Hermione took the cauldron over to the sinks and began to divide the potion into the four glasses. Once everyone had a glass, they added the hairs of the person they were hoping to turn into. Then, unfortunately, the only thing left to do was drink.

"Essence of Crabbe." Ron groaned.

"Cheers." Hermione clinked her glass against everyone else's.

The four raised their glass to their mouth at the same time and took a huge gulp of the disgusting potion. As soon as the chunky texture and foul taste touched Shaye's tastebuds she felt as if she were going to throw up. Shaye had thought it impossible but somehow, the potion tasted even worse than it looked. 

As she forced herself to swallow what was in her mouth, Shaye noticed the sickly looks on her friends' faces. 

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Ron dropped his glass, Polyjuice Potion spilling onto the floor, and darted for one of the toilets.

"Me too." Hermione dropped her glass as well and followed Ron.

Shaye, who didn't think she would make it to a toilet, bent over one of the sinks and drew in deep breaths. When the nausea finally subsided, Shaye looked up at the mirror and nearly screamed at what she saw. In her reflection, she watched as her skin began to bubble. She felt the sensation in her hands next and then slowly, the rest of her body, but she was too busy focusing on her face to look away. 

The one silver lining about the transformation was that it was completely harmless, which was shocking because it looked extremely painful.

Before Shaye knew it, the person staring back at her was not Shaye Frazier; it was Pansy Parkinson and it was terrifying.

Shaye looked over at where Harry had been standing, only, Harry wasn't there anymore. Instead, Goyle with glasses stared back at her. Seconds later one of the stall doors creaked open and Crabbe stepped out.

"Harry?" Ron's voice came out of Crabbe's mouth. "Shaye?"

"Ron." Harry stared at his best friend, who was currently hiding beneath the skin of someone he disliked. 

Ron gawked at Harry. "Bloody hell!"

"You guys still sound like yourselves." Shaye pointed out. "You need to sound more like Crabbe and Goyle."

Ron thought for a moment. "Bloody hell," he repeated but this time with a lower, more husky voice.

Harry smiled. "Excellent."

Shaye tried a few test words to try and get Pansy's voice right and when she was happy with it, she turned to Harry and Ron. "Now we just need to get Hermione and-"

"I don't think I'm going," Hermione shouted from the stall she had disappeared into. "You go on without me."

"Hermione, are you okay?" Shaye asked.

"Just go. You're wasting time."

Assuming that the potion had simply made Hermione too sick to leave the bathroom, Shaye, Harry and Ron changed into their Slytherin robes and went on with the mission without Hermione. Thankfully, she had done her part by making the potion and she wasn't exactly crucial to this next step. Neither was Shaye, in the grand scheme of things, but she had her own things to get done while disguised and Pansy and had a short window to get them done in before the potion wore off or Pansy returned from hanging out with her friends in the courtyard (which she did every evening after dinner during holiday break since there was no homework to be done.)

"I think the Slytherin common room's this way." Harry led the way through the dungeons. 

The three friends had almost made it to their destination when Percy walked by in front of them and stopped. "Excuse me." Percy walked toward what he presumed to be three Slytherin students out of bed after hours. 

"What are you doing d-" Ron started to backtalk his brother before Harry elbowed him in the ribcage. Realization washed over Ron as he remembered that at that moment, he wasn't Ron, and he shut up.

"I mean, what are you doing down here?" Ron tried again, this time with a lower voice and more attitude in his tone.

Percy eyed the Slytherin student. "I happen to be a school prefect. You, on the other hand, have no business wandering the corridors at this time of night. What are your names again?"

"I'm Pansy," Shaye said.

Before Harry or Ron had the chance to answer, Draco rounded the corner and called out to them. "Crabbe, Goyle, where have you two been?" Draco asked as he walked over. "Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? And why are you hanging out with her?"

"We weren't hanging out," Shaye replied, trying her best to sound like Pansy. "We just all happened to be returning to the common room together."

Draco nodded slowly. "Why are you wearing glasses?" he asked Harry.

Harry immediately ripped his glasses off after having forgotten he was wearing them. "Um . . . reading." he lied and hoped Draco would buy it.

"Reading?" Draco narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know you could read."

Harry nodded and thankfully, it seemed as though Draco believed him. 

"And what are you doing down here, Weasley?" Draco turned to Percy. 

"Mind your attitude, Malfoy." Percy snapped. 

Without another word, Draco pushed past Percy and headed for the common room. Shaye, Harry and Ron followed him closely. What had once seemed like a setback in their plan had turned out to be an asset. Now, Draco would lead them right to the common room and they wouldn't have to waste any time looking.

As soon as the four entered the Slytherin common room—which Shaye had just now learned was underwater based on the large, ceiling to floor windows that displayed the underwater life of the lake like an aquarium—the group split up. 

While Harry and Ron followed Draco to the couches, Shaye headed up the stairs to what she hoped led to the dormitories. She tried her very best to look like she knew exactly where she was going.

Much to Shaye's delight, the stairs did lead to the dormitories and when she opened the door marked for the girls, she was happy to find that the room was mostly empty save for one Slytherin girl who was sitting on her bed with her nose buried in a Potions textbook.

Not willing to risk the chance of seeming out of character, since she didn't know if this girl and Pansy were friends, Shaye decided not to say hello and instead continued on her way. She had absolutely no idea which bed belong to Pansy so instead, she pretended as if she were looking for something—which, technically she was . . . she just didn't know what, exactly.

Shaye was just hoping that she would somehow be able to find the bed that her sister had used when she was at Hogwarts and search it for clues. She thought that maybe since Hattie had been keeping secrets in her trunk in the Gryffindor dormitory that maybe Lorelei had done the same. It was a long shot but it was all Shaye had.

After peeking through a few of the girls' things without trying to seem too snoopy—even though most of the belongings had gone home with their owners for the holidays—Shaye's time was beginning to run out and she still hadn't found a single thing.

"Are you looking for something?" the girl from the bed finally spoke up. Shaye didn't know her name but she had seen her before. She had blonde hair and freckles and quite frankly didn't look like most of the Slytherins that she had met before.

"Oh, um, yes," Shaye answered. "I believe I've misplaced my, uh . . . Herbology textbook and thought that maybe someone had accidentally put it away with their things."

"Well, I haven't seen it." the girl shrugged. "But I don't think you're going to have any luck looking over there."

Shaye turned to look at the bed she was standing beside. It was the furthest one from the door, shoved into the corner, and upon closer inspection, she noticed that there was a layer of dust covering everything like it hadn't been used in years.

"Why not?" Shaye asked and prayed that her not knowing something about her own dormitory would blow her cover.

The girl didn't seem to notice that the question was odd, however. "Because of the curse," she said before noticing the confused expression on Shaye's—or Pansy's—face. "You know, that Frazier girl who went missing? Apparently she used to sleep there and now people say that it's cursed or something. I don't personally believe it but . . . now with everything that's going on with her sister Shaye, it might not be totally untrue."

Shaye's face went white. "Oh, right." she tried to play it off the best she could while her heart hammered in her chest. "You know, I think I have heard that. I just don't usually pay attention to things that have to do with . . . _them_."

"Yeah, it's kind of pathetic how the whole school's going crazy over it. Same thing goes for that Potter kid. They're just a bunch of nobodys getting credit for a task they don't have half the guts to pull off," she stated and Shaye determined that even if her looks didn't match Slytherin, her personality certainly did. "You could always try checking the trunk though. Somebody might have put it in there for safekeeping if it didn't have a name on it."

"Okay. Thanks." Shaye opened the trunk slowly. There was nothing inside, and not just in the case of textbooks. Shaye tried to pry open the bottom of the trunk but unlike Hattie's had been, this one wasn't hollow. There were no markings in the wood. There was nothing.

It was then that Shaye began to feel her skin tingling and knew that she had run out of time. Standing up, she started for the door at a fast walk. "Not there," she told the girl who had looked up from her book again. "Guess I'll just try the common room again."

As Shaye hurried down the stairs, she spotted the backs of Crabbe's and Goyle's heads and knew that Harry and Ron were changing back too. Darting past Draco, who was too busy opening a small green present that probably didn't belong to him to notice, Shaye exited the common room and followed Harry and Ron back to the bathroom.

By the time Shaye's feet stepped onto the lavatory tile floor, she had already changed back into herself completely. As had Harry and Ron.

Shaye was beyond disappointed that her plan to discover another clue about her sister had failed but she was eager to hear what Harry and Ron had found out from Draco.

"Hermione, come out." Harry knocked on the bathroom stall that Hermione was still hiding inside. "We've got loads to tell you."

"Go away!" Hermione shouted.

Seconds later, Moaning Myrtle floated through the closed door, a mischievous grin on her ghostly face. "Wait till you see. It's awful." she giggled.

"Hermione?" Harry slowly pushed the unlocked door open. "Are you okay?"

"Do you remember me telling you that the Polyjuice Potion was only for human transformations?" Hermione spoke as she turned around to reveal her furry face, yellow cat eyes and ears. "It was cat hair I plucked off Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Look at my face."

Myrtle continued to laugh in the background.

"Look at your tail," Ron smirked, trying not to laugh as well.

Once Hermione's mistake had been addressed, Harry and Ron shared the information that they had gotten out of Draco. Apparently, against their best assumptions, he was _not_ the one who had opened the Chamber of Secrets. The only other thing they found out was that the last time the Chamber was opened—which had happened fifty years ago—someone was expelled and a mudblood had died.

Shaye sighed. At least someone had come out with the information they had been looking for going in. 


	24. Tom Riddle's Diary

"Have you spoken to Hermione?" Ron asked Shaye and Harry as the three of them headed up to the Gryffindor common room. 

"She should be out of hospital in a few days," Harry answered with a mischievous grin on his face. "When she stops coughing up furballs."

Shaye shook her head disapprovingly but smiled anyway. She had just visited Hermione in the hospital wing that morning and her face was completely un-cat-like. As Harry had said, she would be out in a couple of days once Madam Pomfrey was convinced she was fully healed.

The saving grace of the whole situation was that nobody asked too many questions as to why Hermione had made and drank the cat-infused PolyJuice Potion in the first place. Everyone was too busy worrying about the Chamber of Secrets to even blink an eye at a cat-girl. 

Shaye was about to say something along the lines of what Draco had told Harry and Ron in the Slytherin common room but before she could, she heard a splash and looked down to see that she had stepped in water, as had Harry and Ron. 

The floor of the corridor they had just entered was flooded; even more so than when they had found the blood message and petrified Mrs. Norris that one evening. 

"Yuck!" Ron shook his foot as the water began to seep into his shoe and absorb into his sock.

"Look's like Moaning Myrtle's flooded the bathroom," Shaye said, pointing to the same girls' lavatory that they had brewed their Polyjuice Potion in.

When the trio entered the lavatory they were unsurprised to see that every single sink had been turned on and was overflowing onto the floor. The room was dark and Shaye even swore she could still smell faint notes of the foul Polyjuice Potion in the air. 

Hearing a low weeping sound, Harry pointed to where Myrtle was sitting in the circular windowsill above the stalls. Also unsurprisingly, she was crying. It wasn't unusual to catch Myrtle crying—hence the nickname _Moaning_ Myrtle—but it _was_ unusual for her to flood the bathroom; the one place she felt most comfortable.

Myrtle hiccuped a little but stopped sobbing when she spotted the three students in her bathroom. "Come to throw something else at me?" she accused.

Harry cocked a brow. "Why would I throw something at you?"

"Don't ask me." Myrtle floated down from the windowsill. "Here I am, minding my own business and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me."

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you." Ron reasoned. "I mean, it'll just go through you."

That was the wrong thing to say, no matter how true it was. 

"Sure! Let's all throw books at Myrtle because she can't feel it!" Myrtle growled as she swooped toward Ron. "Ten points if you get it through her stomach!" She punched her ghostly hand right through Ron's stomach and he seized up as if he had just jumped into a freezing lake. "Fifty points if it goes through her head!" She punched through Ron's head next.

"Myrtle, who threw a book at you?" Shaye asked.

Myrtle's tone immediately softened. "I don't know. I didn't see them. I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death and it fell through the top of my head."

Reliving the traumatic experience pushed Myrtle over the edge once more and with a high-pitched shriek she turned and disappeared, her cries echoing through the bathroom even after she had gone.

That's when Harry spotted a book lying in front of the stalls in the water. It was the only book in sight so it must have been the one that someone had thrown at Myrtle. Walking over, Harry picked it up and gave it a shake. Luckily, the book was leather-bound so the outside was waterproof and most of the pages inside were only a little wet. 

There was something odd about the book that Harry just couldn't put his finger on, so naturally, he suggested they take it to Hermione.

Hermione, who had been sitting up in her hospital bed with the light on, flipping through a book of her own, had been very happy to see her friends, even if it was late and they were breaking school rules by being out of bed.

Shaye, Harry and Ron retold the story of what had happened in the bathroom with Myrtle and handed the book to Hermione, who upon only giving it a quick glance concluded that it was a diary and not some ordinary book. The pages inside were completely blank but she had managed to discover something that the other three hadn't.

"There's a name in this diary," she said. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle?" Ron repeated the name and took the slightly soggy diary from Hermione. "Hang on. I know that name. Why do I know that name?" Then Ron's eyes lit up. "Of course. That night I had detention." he referred to one of the many evenings where he, Harry and Shaye had served detention for the flying car stunt; it was one of the only nights that all three of them had been split up. "My job was to polish the silver in the trophy room. There was a trophy with Tom Riddle's name on it."

Harry fell into quiet contemplation for a few seconds. "What was the trophy for?" he questioned.

"He won an award. Fifty years ago," Ron said. "Special services to the school or something."

Shaye shook her head. "Did it say what kind of special service?"

"No."

"Fifty years ago?" Hermione seemed skeptical. "Are you sure?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Don't you remember what Malfoy told you?" she wrapped her red dressing gown tighter around her body. "The last time the Chamber was opened was-"

"-fifty years ago." Shaye finished her thought. 

A realization popped into Harry's head and his eyes lit up. "But that means-"

"-Tom Riddle was here at Hogwarts when it happened," Hermione said. Everyone was just so excited about figuring something out that they kept cutting each other off when they had the same thought or theory. "What if he wrote about what he saw? It's possible he knew where the Chamber was, how to open it, even what sort of creature lives in it. If so, whoever's behind these attacks wouldn't want this diary lying around, would they?"

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione, but there's just one flaw," Harry told her as he took the diary from Ron and flipped through the wet, blank pages. "There's nothing written in this diary."

The group of friends spent another couple of minutes or so trying to work out an alternative theory but unfortunately, they came up empty-handed. By the time Shaye, Harry and Ron had said goodnight to Hermione and returned to their common room, the pages of the diary had almost completely dried and Harry suggested he would stay up a little longer and search the pages meticulously. Maybe there was one word written in the smallest print ever on one of the pages, and if there was, Harry wasn't going to give up on finding it.

Shaye and Ron offered to stay and help but Harry urged them to get some sleep. So, that's exactly what they did. What they weren't expecting, however, was a frantic Harry waking them up hours later with an unbelievable story to tell.

Harry explained that after an hour of flipping through the pages and searching every square inch of the diary, he had decided to try and write in it himself; and good thing he did, too. Harry had discovered that when ink came into contact with the parchment in the diary, it disappeared moments later. This, somehow, wasn't even the best part. When Harry wrote a question in the diary, asking about the Chamber of Secrets, the ink disappeared and seconds later an answer to his question was written there in front of him, almost like an invisible person was sitting right beside him, writing back to him.

And that invisible person was Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The next part of the retelling, Harry recalled with slightly fuzzy details. He said that one second, he had been writing in the diary and the next, there was a flash of light and he found himself standing in the halls of Hogwarts; only, it was Hogwarts from fifty years ago, everything was black and white, and he was following Tom Riddle through the halls.

The Chamber of Secrets had just been opened for the first time and a dead body was being carried out of the school. He then witnessed a particularly odd conversation between Tom Riddle and a much younger Dumbledore. Tom had illuded to the fact that he may or may not know who the person responsible for the attacks was. 

Harry then remembered watching a conversation between Tom and Hagrid, and although he wasn't totally sure how he had gotten from one place to the next, he said there were faint flashes left in his memory of him once again following Tom through the halls of the castle.

Hagrid had been keeping some sort of creature named Aragog in the school. Tom had threatened to turn Hagrid in and when Hagrid refused to let him, Tom had tried to kill the monster but it had gotten away. Harry said he remembered seeing something scurry past his feet and into the hall but it was moving so fast he couldn't get a good look at it. 

Tom then told Hagrid he would be expelled and that was the last thing Harry saw before he found himself back in the common room, sitting in front of the diary again.

By the end of the tale, both Shaye and Ron were wide awake. Sleep was the last thing on their minds. 

"It was Hagrid," Harry concluded. "Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."


	25. Positively Petrifying

"It was Hagrid," Harry said for about the hundredth time that day.

Hermione had been released from the hospital wing that morning and Harry had spent every waking second since retelling what he had seen in the diary over and over again and trying to convince his friends that the person who had first opened the Chamber of Secrets was Hagrid.

Shaye, Hermione and Ron were naturally skeptical.

Hermione shook her head as the four crossed the courtyard, the brisk spring breeze chilling them slightly. "It can't be Hagrid. It just can't be."

Ron pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. "We don't even know this Tom Riddle. He sounds like a dirty, rotten snitch to me. 

"The monster had _killed_ somebody, Ron," Harry emphasized the _killed_ part. "What would any of us had done?"

"I mean, Hagrid's a little out-there when it comes to the creatures he keeps around," Shaye admitted, "but I just can't believe that he would ever knowingly bring something so dangerous into the school."

Hermione exhaled slowly. "Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go and ask him about it?"

Ron scoffed and rolled his brown eyes. "That would be a cheerful visit. 'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'"

"Mad and hairy?" Hagrid walked up behind the four friends, thankfully having only caught the end of their conversation. "You wouldn't be talking about me, now, would you?"

Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione turned around in unison and looked up at Hagrid. "No." they chorused and an awkward silence fell upon the group. 

"What's that you've got, Hagrid?" Harry asked, changing the topic and pushing through the thick tension in the air.

Hagrid held up the green canister he was holding and showed off the label. "Oh, it's Flesh-Eating Slug Repellant. For the Mandrakes, you know," he said. "Now, according to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit of growing up to do. But once their acne's cleared up, we'll be able to chop them up and stew them and then we'll get those people down at the hospital un-petrified. In the meantime, though, you four had best be looking after yourselves. All right?"

The four students nodded.

As Hagrid turned to leave, he spotted Neville and said a quick, "Hello." Neville, however, was in too much of a rush to return the greeting. The boy was sprinting across the courtyard and heading right toward Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Harry, I don't know who did it, but you'd better come." Neville panted, clearly out of breath. "Come on!"

Before anyone could ask what on earth Neville was talking about, he had run off again, waving for the four to follow. Usually, it was normal for Neville to freak out about small, minuscule things, but this time there was an urgency in his voice that tipped the four off and they sprinted after him.

By the time the five darted through the portrait hole and climbed the stairs up to the Gryffindor boys' dormitory, Shaye was completely out of breath. But the sight before her was even more surprising than the fact that she had just managed to run non-stop from the courtyard to Gryffindor Tower. 

The boys' dormitory had been completely trashed, things were strewn about and torn to shreds, but the detail that stuck out like a sore thumb was that the majority of the items that had been destroyed were Harry's.

Harry's bed had been ripped to shreds, leaving feathers lying about all over the place, his trunk had been rifled through, his desk drawers completely emptied and the wooden posts on his bed had even been broken.

"It had to be a Gryffindor." Hermione gawked at the mess. "Nobody else knows our password. Unless it wasn't a student."

"Whoever it was, they must have been looking for something," Ron said.

Dropping to his knees, Harry searched through the pile of his things on the floor. He looked under the bed, through the discarded books and even double-checked his now-empty trunk. "And they found it." he sat back on his haunches and huffed. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone."

═══════════════

Grateful for the good weather, Shaye was hurrying down the path toward the Quidditch Pitch when Professor McGonagall stopped her. Shaye was worried that she was going to be in trouble for being late or something, even though she knew attending the Quidditch games weren't mandatory, but she had a good excuse either way.

Shaye had been waiting in the castle for Hermione so they could walk down to the pitch together like they always did and meet Ron, who liked to go super early and get good seats. However, when Hermione didn't show and the game was due to start any minute, Shaye assumed Hermione must have forgotten about meeting up and was waiting for her with Ron in the stands.

Shaye opened her mouth to explain herself to McGonagall, but the look of the professor's face told her that she wasn't in trouble; something much worse had happened. 

McGonagall kept the details vague and told Shaye to follow her while they went to round up Harry and Ron. The mention of needing all three of them sent shivers down Shaye's back and she immediately knew that whatever had happened, it was bad.

She tried to ask questions to gain clarity, but McGonagall just kept telling her to stay quiet and follow her.

As the two rounded the corner toward the Quiddich changing rooms, they met up with the Gryffindor team just as they were heading onto the pitch. One of the twins was making some joke about Harry petrifying the other team but Shaye didn't even have it in her to be mad.

"This match has been cancelled," McGonagall told Oliver Wood, the team captain. 

Oliver's brows knit together in confusion. "We can't cancel Quidditch."

"Silence, Wood." McGonagall was in no mood to deal with any arguing. "You are your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower. Now." She then looked down at Harry, who was easily the smallest on the team. "Potter, you, Miss Frazier and I will find Mr. Weasley. There's something the three of you need to see."

The whole way up the stands to retrieve Ron, Harry was asking Shaye what was going on but she kept insisting that she had just as many details as him. Ron did the same thing as the trio followed McGonagall away from the Quidditch pitch, into the castle, and up to the hospital wing. 

"I warn you. This could be a wee bit of a shock," McGonagall tried to prepare the three friends for what they were about to see, but nothing could ever truly prepare them.

On the bed next to where Madam Pomfrey was standing, Hermione was lying motionless; petrified. Her limbs were frozen in an unnatural position and her skin was pale like snow. 

Shaye gasped at the sight of her best friend. That's why Hermione hadn't shown up for the Quidditch match. Shaye immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

"I should have gone to look for her when she didn't meet me in the courtyard." there was a tremble in Shaye's voice. 

"She was found near the library," McGonagall explained to the three shocked students. "Along with this." McGonagall picked up a mirror from the bedside table. "Does it mean anything to any of you?"

Shaye, Harry and Ron shook her heads. Shaye had seen the mirror before with Hermione's things in the dormitory, but Hermione had never said anything about it being particularly special. As far as Shaye assumed, it was just a simple, everyday mirror.

After giving the trio some time to come to terms with what had happened to Hermione, McGonagall had them say their goodbyes and escorted them back to the Gryffindor common room, where almost the entire house was milling about, waiting to hear some news.

"Can I have your attention, please?" McGonagall stepped into the middle of the room and waited until everyone was looking at her and listening before continuing her announcement. "Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately: 'All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock _every_ evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions.'"

A thick blanket of silence fell over the room as the gravity of the situation really began to set in. No more was this something to be laughed or joked about in the corridors with friends. More than one student had been targeted now and for all anyone knew, they could very well be next; mudblood or not.

"I should tell you this," McGonagall spoke once more, breaking through the veil of silence. "Unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught . . . it is likely the school will be closed."

Without another word, McGonagall gave a curt nod to the room and left. Everyone was speechless. Without Hogwarts, where would they go to school? Without Hogwarts, who would they be?

"We've got to talk to Hagrid," Harry whispered to Shaye and Ron. "I can't believe it's him but if he did set the monster loose last time, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets. That's a start."

"But you heard McGonagall," Ron said. "We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class."

Shaye folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "I'm willing to bet Harry's got a way around that, don't you, Harry?"

"I do," Harry confirmed. "I think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again."


	26. Arachnophobia

That evening, after everyone else in the Gryffindor common room had gone to bed, Shaye, Harry and Ron snuck out through the portrait hole, out of the castle and down to Hagrid's hut with the help of the invisibility cloak.

The small, stone, circular hut that sat on school grounds, but just far enough away that you could only see it from the castle if you were in one of the towers, was quiet but obviously occupied. A warm, orange glow was shining from the small windows, a bonfire was cracking just outside the front door and smoke was spilling out from the chimney. 

The hut itself was just as cozy and welcoming as every other time the group of friends had visited Hagrid for a cup of tea or just wanted to talk in the past. The Forest that loomed behind it, dark and uninviting, however, was the polar opposite.

When the three students approached the front door and knocked, they were surprised to see Hagrid answering the door with a crossbow pointed at their faces—or more accurately, where their faces just so happened to be because they were still hidden under the cloak.

"Hello?" Hagrid called out.

When Harry pulled the cloak off, his eyes went immediately to the crossbow. "What's that for?" he asked.

"Nothing. I was expecting . . . it doesn't matter." Hagrid lowered the weapon and invited the kids inside. "Come on in. I just made a pot of tea."

Shaye felt a tinge of guilt wash over her as Hagrid so willingly invited them into his home. She couldn't believe that they were actually considering him to be the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets . . . even if all of the evidence _did_ point to him at the moment.

Putting his crossbow down and giving Fang, who was lying in an armchair and taking up the entire seat himself, a pat on the head, Hagrid pulled out four cups for tea and began pouring from his teapot. Seemingly distracted by something else, however, he accidentally overflowed one of the cups and the tea spilled over the sides and onto the table.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Shaye asked.

"I'm fine. I'm all right," Hagrid answered, but the wobbling in his voice and shaking of his hands was less than convincing.

Shaye, Harry and Ron shared a look. They could tell something was wrong, whether Hagrid was going to admit it or not. 

"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked, trying to ease the tension a little before they got into the real reason for their visit.

Hagrid nodded. "Yeah. I heard about that, all right."

Harry was slightly taken aback by the lack of emotion in Hagrid's response. He had been so passionate and helpful when Draco had called her a mudblood but now she had been petrified and he seemed, for lack of a better word, indifferent.

"Look, we have to ask you something." Harry cut to the chase. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hagrid sighed heavily and averted his gaze to the floorboards. "What you have to understand about that is-"

A loud knocking followed by a low bark from Fang cut Hagrid off. Everyone turned toward the door, afraid that whoever was on the other side had been there a while. Had they heard what they were talking about?"

"Quick, under the cloak," Hagrid instructed in a hushed whisper. "Don't say a word. Be quiet."

Acting fast, the three students ran over to the fireplace and threw the cloak over themselves. Keeping their breathing slow and quiet, they watched as Hagrid looked back at them one last time before answering the door, once again with his crossbow in hand.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir." Hagrid lowered the weapon again. 

"Good evening, Hagrid." Dumbledore greeted and from where she was standing, Shaye could see that he was not alone. "I wonder, could we . . .?"

"Of course." Hagrid stepped back to allow his guests entry. "Come in."

As soon as Dumbledore and the man accompanying him stepped into the hut, recognition flashed in Ron's eyes. "That's Dad's boss," he whispered, referring to the shorter man with blonde hair that was standing beside Dumbledore. "Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

"Bad business, Hagrid, very bad business. Had to come," Cornelius, who looked somewhere between the ages of Hagrid and Dumbledore, said. "Three attacks on muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act."

"But I never . . ." Hagrid shook his head and turned to Dumbledore. "You know I never, professor."

Dumbledore nodded understandingly. "I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence."

"Albus, look, Hagrid's record is against him," Cornelius explained and there was a slight look in his eyes that said he didn't want to do this, but he _had_ to. "I've got to take him."

"Take me?" Hagrid repeated. "Take me where? Not Azkaban prison."

"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid," Cornelius said.

Just then, the front door opened and Lucius Malfoy stepped into the already packed hut. "Already here, Fudge?" he made himself right at home. "Good."

Hagrid stared down the foul man whom he wasn't shy to display his distaste for. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Get out of my house!"

"Believe me . . . I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your . . ." Lucius sneered as he stepped toward the fireplace, causing Shaye, Harry and Ron to back up as quickly and quietly as possible. " . . . you call this a house?" he cocked a brow. "No. I simply called up the school and was told the headmaster was here."

"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore inquired as he took a small step forward, his red satin robes dragging through the dirt on the floor from the many times Hagrid had worked inside or Fang had gone trotting through the mud before taking a nap in the hut. 

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside," Lucius told Dumbledore as he pulled a rolled piece of parchment from his robes. "This is an order of suspension."

Cornelius went to grab for the parchment but Dumbledore stopped him. The headmaster of Hogwarts was many things but unable to handle his own problems was certainly not one of them. 

"You'll find all twelve signatures on it," Lucius said and even though he didn't smile, Shaye could tell he found joy in uttering those words. "I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks . . . there'll be no muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"You can't take Professor Dumbledore away," Hagrid said. "Take him away and the muggle-borns won't stand a chance. You mark my words, there'll be killings next!"

Lucius remained unphased by the heightened emotion in the room. "You think so?" he retorted.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid." Dumbledore unrolled the parchment and read it over. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

At first, Shaye thought that her eyes were playing tricks on here, but after a while it was unmistakable. Dumbledore was looking right at her, Harry and Ron. Somehow, he knew they were there, even with the invisibility cloak shielding them from the eyes of everyone else.

"Admirable sentiments." Lucius followed Dumbledore's eyeline toward the fireplace, surely convinced that the old man was, indeed, losing it. "Shall we?"

With that, Lucius strode over to the front door and pushed it open. Dumbledore, knowing when and how to pick his battles, gave one last glance toward the hidden students before quietly and cooperatively following Lucius out of the hut. 

"Come, Hagrid." Fudge turned to the large man. 

Hagrid cleared his throat. "If anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders," Hagrid said very loudly while avoiding looking at the spot near the fireplace. "Yep. That would lead them right. That's all I have to say. Oh, and someone will need to feed Fang while I'm away."

Thoroughly confused, Cornelius brushed off what had just happened and followed Hagrid out the front door. It was late and it was obvious that he wanted nothing more than to get this job over and done with so he could go home. 

Once the front door had been closed and every single adult had left, Harry ripped the cloak off, leaving just him, Shaye, Ron and Fang inside the hut. Fang, however, seemed completely unbothered by everything and went back to napping on the armchair.

"Hagrid's right." Ron peeked out the window and watched the four dark figures making their way up the path and toward the school. "With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day."

"I'm having a hard time believe that a whole council of governors wants to get rid of Dumbledore." Shaye sighed. "Lucius I get because he's a rotten person, just like his good-for-nothing son . . . but eleven other people too?"

Harry didn't say anything in response. Instead, his eyes were focused on something else. "Look." he pointed to the window where a line of spiders was crawling up and out, just like they had in the castle. "Come on." he headed for the door and grabbed Hagrid's large lantern off of the wall.

"Come on, Fang," Shaye called for the dog to follow and even though he had been in a deep sleep seconds before, he was up and trailing along behind them in the blink of an eye. He did let out a small growl in protest but that was something they had come to expect from him; he was loyal but not always happy about it.

Together, with the light of the lantern helping them, the three second-years and large boarhound exited the hut and walked around the stone exterior where the spiders were crawling out the window and down into the grass. From there, there was only one logical place they were heading toward . . . the Dark Forest.

"Come on." Harry started for the Forest.

"What?" Ron squeaked.

"You heard what Hagrid said," Harry told him. "'Follow the spiders'."

Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "They're heading to the Dark Forest."

Shaye rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ron, did you really think we were going to get through this year without going back into the Forest?"

"I was hoping so." Ron swallowed hard and reluctantly followed Shaye and Harry. "Why spiders? Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies'?"

The Dark Forest was just as Shaye had remembered it from the last time she had ventured inside, albeit, a tad more terrifying without Hagrid escorting them with his large crossbow and confident demeanour. 

The trees ranged from small with skinny trunks to tall with thick trunks, the variety of sizes and coverage making some areas nearly pitch black and others brighter, illuminated by the moon above that peeked through the canopy of leaves and branches.

Just like last time, Shaye had to pay attention to where she was stepping because of the uneven terrain and protruding tree roots. Tripping in and of itself did not sound like a good idea and even though Shaye wasn't nearly as terrified of the arachnids crawling along the Forest floor as Ron was, she wasn't looking to go falling face-first into them any time soon.

Fang, who was normally at the back of the pack, had decided to take the lead this time. With his large snout close to the ground, he snuffed the spiders forcefully and guided the students farther and farther into the trees.

Too focused on the fact that the spiders got larger and larger the farther they ventured, Shaye, Harry and Ron hadn't even noticed when something had snuck up on them in the shadows. When a loud roaring sound echoed from the blackness, they stopped in their tracks.

"There's something moving over there," Harry said. "Listen. It sounds like something big."

Ron's face paled. "Big." he whimpered.

Another loud sound followed soon after, but this time it sounded less like a roar and more like a . . . revving engine? That's when two bright lights turned on, nearly blinding the kids. It was no monster at all. It was Ron's family's flying car. Apparently, when it had disappeared into the Forest at the beginning of the year, it had never left.

"It's our car!" Ron exclaimed. "Must've been here all the time. Look, the forest has turned it wild."

That was true. The car was covered in moss and grass with more dents and paint scratches than it had suffered by the branches of the Whomping Willow and steam was spilling from the hood. Shaye didn't think a car could ever look angry, but this car did. 

"Come on, we don't want to lose the trail." Harry continued through the Forest as the car turned its headlights off and disappeared back into the shadows. 

Eventually, the trio came across a collection of large tree roots where what looked like a cave had been dug into the ground. And, of course, the spiders were going inside of said cave.

"I don't like this." Ron cried out. "I don't like this at all."

"Shush!" Shaye and Harry rounded on the scared boy at the same time.

"Can we go back now?" Ron asked.

"No!" Shaye grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him behind her. "We're following the spiders. Come on."

Stepping over a large root in the entrance to the cave, Fang continued to lead the way with Harry, Shaye and Ron behind him. The cave was relatively small with roots lining the dirt walls and floor and hanging from the top. Everywhere you looked, spiders were crawling about, moving deeper into the cave.

Eventually, when the trio and Fang came out the other end, they found themselves in a large open area filled with giant, thick tree roots. The roots tangled and twisted together like vines, creating what almost looked like overpasses and underpasses on a highway.

"Who is it?" a deep, echoing voice called. It was unknown who or what was speaking, but whatever it was, it sounded big; much bigger than Ron's feral car.

"Don't panic," Harry whispered but Shaye was too scared to hear a word he was saying and Ron was already way past the point of panic.

"Hagrid?" the voice asked, followed by a booming footstep. "Is that you?"

Harry shook his head. "We're friends of Hagrid's."

It was then that a single, long, hairy leg emerged from a dugout behind some roots. Then another leg . . . and another. Before she knew it, Shaye was staring at what must have been the world's largest spider. Never before had Shaye truly known what it felt like to have arachnophobia, but then again, she reckoned that even the bravest man's confidence would falter when faced with this.

"And you?" Harry tried not to let the fear he was feeling show in his voice. "You're Aragog, aren't you?"

"Yes," the spider answered, and although his many black eyes glistened, his mouth did not move. 

Shaye realized then that she wasn't even totally sure if spiders had mouths. They must have needed one to eat, but where was it? If it was where most animals' mouths were, she couldn't see it on account of all of the hair and the black pools for eyes that were staring into her very soul.

"Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," Aragog said.

Harry swallowed his fear. "He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets. Like before."

"That's a lie." Aragog shot back. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Shaye furrowed her brows. "Then you're not the monster?"

"No. The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land in the pocket of a traveller."

While Shaye and Harry were more focused on the one big spider in front of them, Ron's eyes were darting around like crazy, watching as spiders of all shapes and sizes (though none bigger than Aragog) skittered out of the darkness and dropped down from the ceiling.

"Harry." Ron tugged on Harry's sweater, but Harry ignored him.

"But if you're not the monster, then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry asked.

"We do not speak of it." Aragog's voice somehow got even deeper and raspier. "It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."

Shaye could sense that Aragog was growing weary of answering their questions but Harry pushed on, desperate to understand what was happening in the castle. 

"But have you seen it?" Harry prodded for more information.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."

Ron tugged on Harry's sweater once more. "What?" Harry snapped.

With paralyzing fear plastered on his face, Ron pointed up at the Fang-sized spiders that were dropping down above them. Shaye felt her heart pounding so hard against her chest she was sure it was about to burst right through her ribcage any second.

Fang let out a whimper.

"Well, thank you." Harry cleared his throat, deciding that it was high time they left. "We'll just go."

"Go?" Aragog questioned. "I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid."

The spiders were quickly closing ranks around the three terrified students. There suddenly seemed to be hundreds of them, big and small, fast and slow. They were _everywhere_.

"Can we panic now?" Ron quivered.

As the spiders began to advance on the trio, Harry used the lantern to fend them off the best he could before pulling out his wand. Shaye and Ron did the same, the three of them standing back to back with each other.

"Know any spells that are good for fending off ginormous spiders?" Shaye asked.

"One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them," Harry said. 

Ron gulped. "Where's Hermione when you need her?"

Just when it seemed like there was no way out and the three friends were going to end up spider food, a pair of blinding lights shone through the hollow entrance and the blue flying car sped through the cluster of spiders.

The spiders instantly fled from the light and the sound of the loud engine, giving the trio and Fang just enough time to climb inside the car, which had opened its doors for them. Clearly, it wasn't nearly as mad at the three children as it had seemed.

While Shaye jumped into the backseat with Fang, Ron climbed into the driver's seat and Harry in the passenger's, just like it had been on their journey to Hogwarts. 

As soon as the doors were shut, the spiders charged the vehicle, desperate to stop their meal from escaping. They jumped down onto the roof and the hood and even slammed into the already cracked windows.

"Go!" Ron shouted and the car's wheels spun wildly, backing them out of the hollow and back through the cave-like entrance.

With a jolt, the car landed in the Dark Forest, meters away from the hollow's entrance. 

Shaye drew in a deep breath and clutched her chest with her hand. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack," she wheezed. "Can twelve-year old's have a heart attack?"

Ron opened his mouth to answer, or maybe to simply express his relief of being out of the spider-infested hole in the ground, but before he could a spider lunged through his open window and wrapped its legs around his neck and torso.

Ron let out a bone-chilling scream.

Pulling out his wand, Harry waited for just the right moment (so he wouldn't hit Ron by accident) and shouted, " _Arania Exumai!_ "

A burst of light erupted from Harry's wand and the spider was blasted off of Ron and into the Forest. 

"Thanks for that," Ron blinked crazily, his voice cracking.

Harry nodded. "Don't mention it."

Noticing something moving in front of the car, Shaye narrowed her eyes and peered into the darkness. "Ugh, guys . . ." she pointed to the hollow's entrance where the spiders were skittering out, still in hot pursuit of them. "I think we should go."

"Get us out of here." Harry turned to Ron. "Now!"

Ron sat there, staring wide-eyed at the spiders and white-knuckling the steering wheel for a few seconds before the fear signal travelled from his brain to his hands and he switched the car into reverse and stepped on the gas.

The car lurched backward and Ron turned the wheel left and right, narrowly avoiding quite a few tree trunk collisions. With a particularly sharp jerk of the wheel, the car hit a slippery patch of dirt and did a 180. Ron switched the car into drive and stepped on the gas once more, all while Shaye and Harry screamed bloody-murder in his ear.

The cluster of spiders was thundering after them, quickly gaining on the car. Before they were given the chance, however, Ron switched the car into its flight gear—which took a little bit of muscle-power from all three of them because the gear stick was jammed—and the car took off into the air, the wheels gently bumping against a fallen tree before they soared up and out of the Forest, leaving the angry spiders in their dust.

When the car landed roughly in front of Hagrid's hut, the wheels tearing up grass and the vehicle eventually sliding to a stop, Shaye jumped out as fast as she could with Fang on her heels and felt relief wash over her at the sight of the bonfire still crackling away.

"Follow the spiders," Ron grumbled. "Follow the spiders. If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"

As Fang let out a bark and ran through the open door of the hut and back into the safety of his home, the car's engine sputtered to life once more and returned to its new-found home in the Dark Forest.

"I mean, what was the point of sending us in there?" Ron watched the car disappear. "What have we found out?"

"We know one thing," Harry said. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent."

Shaye sat down on the grass and fell onto her back, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down. "So, what you're saying is . . . we're back at square one?"


	27. Moaning Myrtle's Misery

Unable to sleep after returning to her dormitory because of the piercing black spider eyes she saw whenever she closed her own eyes, Shaye stayed up most of the night thinking. She thought about Hagrid and if he really had been taken to Azkaban, she thought about the Chamber of Secrets and who was really behind all of the attacks, and when those two topics had been exhausted, she resorted to thinking about Lorelei.

Shaye had been right when she guessed that she would soon become too busy to continue the fruitless search for the truth behind her sister's disappearance. With clues about Lorelei coming up dead-end after dead-end and the Chamber only providing more and more questions that needed answering as the time passed, it became obvious which problem she needed to pour her energy into.

As soon as the sun began to rise and the sky turned a bright shade of orange and red, Shaye jumped out of bed—still exhausted and a little on-edge from the events that had taken place in the Dark Forest—and went down to the common room where Harry and Ron had been waiting for her.

Shaye could instantly tell from the bags under their eyes that the boys hadn't gotten much sleep either. 

Together, the trio went to their classes (escorted by a teacher each time), ate as much food as they could muster before nearly falling asleep in the Great Hall and when the day was nearly over, did the only thing they really had the energy and will-power to do and headed in the direction of the hospital wing to visit Hermione. Along the way, Harry had stolen a bouquet of purple flowers from one of the vases in the corridor and brought them along.

The hospital wing was mostly empty, save the few beds occupied by those who had been petrified. Hermione, as expected, was still in the same position she had been in the last time Shaye and the others had visited. Her skin was just as pale and her eyes were just as wide.

Harry quickly replaced the muted and wilted flowers on Hermione's bedside table with the ones he had stolen. Then, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at his friend. Shaye could tell he was thinking the same thing she was; thinking about how much easier everything would be if Hermione were able to help.

"Wish you were here, Hermione," Harry said, voicing his and Shaye's thoughts. "We need you. Now more than ever."

Shaye took Hermione's left hand in her own, the pale skin even colder than it looked. Then she felt something tucked inside of the closed hand. It was a piece of paper.

"Guys, look at this." Shaye pulled the paper out, careful not to rip it, and un-crumpled it. 

Harry peered at the paper from over Shaye's shoulder before taking it into his own hands. Shaye and Harry shared a look of epiphany. Even petrified, Hermione was able to save the day. 

"What's that?" Ron asked, unable to see the paper from where he was sitting on the other side of the bed.

"This is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked," Harry said. "Come on."

Jumping up, Harry rushed out of the hospital wing with Shaye closed on his heels. Ron blinked back in confusion for a few seconds before following as well.

"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk.'" Harry read off of the book page that had been found in Hermione's hand. "'Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it.'"

"This is it!" Shaye exclaimed. "The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk."

Harry nodded. "That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake."

Ron furrowed his brow, a burning question on the tip of his tongue. "But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?"

The trio pondered that for a while before the pieces snapped together in Shaye's mind like a magnetic puzzle. "Because no one did look it in the eye." she looked up and saw her faint reflection in the window before her. "Not directly, at least."

"Yes!" Harry smiled as the trio started down the corridor. "Colin saw it through his camera. Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it. But he's a ghost, he couldn't die again."

"The mirror!" Shaye added. "Hermione had the mirror. I bet she was using it to look around corners in case it came along."

"And Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked. "I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror."

That questioned stumped both Shaye and Harry, but not for long.

"The water." Harry figured it out. "There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection."

Ron nodded as Shaye took the book page from Harry and began to read more from the excerpt. "'Spiders flee before it.'" she repeated that part. "It all fits."

"But how's a basilisk been getting around?" Ron was full of hard-hitting questions all of a sudden. "A dirty, great snake. Someone would have seen it."

Shaye turned back to the page for answers, and although it wasn't provided in the excerpt itself, it _was_ provided. "Hermione's answered that too." she pointed to a single word that had been written on the bottom of the page. "'Pipes.'"

"Pipes?" Ron's forehead creased. "It's using the plumbing."

"Remember what Aragog said about that girl fifty years ago?" Harry was clearly onto something else now. "She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?"

Shaye's eyes widened. "Moaning Myrtle."

" _All students are to return to their house dormitories at once_." McGonagall's voice flooded through the corridors of the school. " _All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately._ " 

The trio looked to each other. "We're going to the second-floor corridor, aren't we?" Shaye guessed.

Arriving at the corridor only moments before the teachers, Shaye, Harry and Ron peered around the corner as Snape, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Flitwick, Filch and a few others ran through the hall, stopping in front of what was, without mistake, another message written in blood on the wall.

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message." McGonagall gasped at the sight of it. "Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts."

"So sorry. Dozed off." Lockhart came striding down the corridor. "What have I missed?"

Snape glared at the smiling nitwit in front of him. "A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart's face went white. "My moment?"

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

Fear washed over Lockhart. It was obvious that he never thought, even for a moment, that he would be asked to act on the lies which he so foolishly boasted all over the whole school.

"That's settled," McGonagall stated. "We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."

"Very well." Lockhart flashed a sly smile. "I'll just be in my office getting ready."

With that, Lockhart turned and walked away. A few of the other teachers followed him.

"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

McGonagall's face saddened. "Ginny Weasley."

Ron let out a shuddering breath. Harry froze. Shaye felt her blood run cold.

As soon as the teachers had all taken their leave, the three students stepped out into the corridor so they could see what had been written on the wall. This message was much more sinister than the last.

**Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.**

"Ginny." Ron gasped.

Turning from the corridor and sprinting back the way they had come, the three students ran as fast as they could to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where Lockhart said he would be preparing in his office. If he was going to go into the Chamber to save Ginny, then Shaye, Harry and Ron wanted to help.

"Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber," Harry said. "At least we can tell him what we know."

Shaye threw open the office door. "Professor, we have some information for you!" she shouted, but the scene she was faced with was not, in fact, a professor getting ready to face a monster and save a child.

Instead, Lockhart was rushing around his office, gathering personal items and stuffing things into trunks. He wasn't getting ready to save Ginny, he was getting ready to leave.

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked accusingly as he looked around the untidy office.

"Well, yes," Lockhart answered. "Urgent call. Unavoidable. Got to go."

Ron glared at the professor. "What about my sister?"

"Well . . . as to that, most unfortunate." Lockhart not-so-sneakily reached behind himself and locked one of his trunks. "No one regrets more than I."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Shaye scoffed.

Shaye had never been more confident and thankful for taking off the rose-coloured glasses when it came to Lockhart. He really was, for all intents and purposes, nothing more than a bumbling buffoon. He was even more of a coward than Fang was, and that was saying something.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Ron reminded him. "You can't go now."

"Well, I must say, when I took the job, there was nothing in the job description about-" Lockhart tried to make a dash for the door but Harry stepped in front of him.

"You're running away?" Harry inquired. "After all that stuff you did in your books?"

Lockhart scowled. "Books can be misleading."

"You wrote them!"

"My dear boy, do use your common sense!" Lockhart snapped. "My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things."

Harry stared daggers at Lockhart. "You're a fraud. You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done."

"No wonder you're so useless when it comes to every aspect of teaching this class," Shaye said.

Ron nodded. "Is there anything you _can_ do?"

"Yes, now you mention it," Lockhart replied. "I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing. And I'd never have sold another book. In fact . . ." Lockhart turned around and slowly reached into his pocket, ". . . I'm going to have to do the same to you."

By the time Lockhart had turned back around with his wand drawn, Shaye, Harry and Ron had already pulled theirs out and pointed them at Lockhart's face.

"Don't even think about it," Harry warned. 

Having been bested by three second-years, Lockhart accepted defeat and dropped his wand. From there, there was only one thing left to do.

Holding Lockhart at wandpoint, Shaye, Harry and Ron led him to the abandoned girls' lavatory where, no surprise, Moaning Myrtle was floating about above the stalls, crying her eyes out.

When the four entered the bathroom, Myrtle immediately stopped moping and turned to face them. "Who's there?" she asked and smiled when she saw Harry. She clearly fancied him. "Hello, Harry. What do you want?"

"To ask you how you died." Harry tried to word his question very carefully. What they didn't need at the moment was an upset (even more than usual) and angry Myrtle on their hands.

"It was dreadful," Myrtle said with a smile. "It happened right here in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in."

"Who was it, Myrtle?"

"I don't know. I was distraught! But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language. And I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and . . . I died."

Shaye was sure there was some part of the story being left out. "Just like that?" she questioned. "How?"

"I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes over there by that sink." Myrtle gestured to one of the sinks in the round fixture in the middle of the room; the same one that Myrtle had used to flood the bathroom before.

Then, with an airy wail, Myrtle turned and floated away. 

Harry walked over to the specific sink that Myrtle had pointed at and began to inspect it. He felt around the top, near the mirror and even at the base, checking for a secret button or something. He twisted the tap and nothing happened, not even a drop of water came out. That's when he noticed the small, barely noticeable snake symbol on the side.

"This is it," Harry whispered. "I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

The three students and Lockhart stared wide-eyed at the sink. No one said anything. No one even moved a muscle.

"Say something." Ron eventually broke the silence. "Harry, say something in Parseltongue."

Harry paused a moment, took a deep breath and then spoke in the same airy, hissing voice that he had during the first Dueling Club meeting. Shaye had no idea what he had said but it didn't matter. It worked. 

A loud, mechanical sound echoed through the bathroom and while the top of the sink fixture came loose and floated up into the air, the eight sinks that made up the fixture itself pushed forward, separating from one another. From below, a large tunnel was revealed. The sink with the snake marking then dropped down into the tile flooring, creating an entrance into the deep, dark abyss that was the Chamber of Secrets. 

Lockhart exhaled hard. "Excellent, Harry. Good work. Well, then, I'll just be . . . there's no need for me to stay."

Lockhart once again made a dash for the exit but Shaye, Harry and Ron grabbed onto him hard and pushed him back toward the tunnel. Lockhart would have fallen in if he hadn't grabbed onto the sinks to stop himself.

"Oh, yes there is." Harry narrowed his eyes as he drew his wand, Shaye and Ron doing the same. "You first."

"Now, children, what good will it do?" Lockhart asked, clearly attempting to talk his way out of this situation since, in front of him, he had three wands in his face and behind him, he had a dark tunnel that was so long and dark, the bottom wasn't visible.

Ron smirked. "Better you than us."

"But . . . obviously, yes." Lockhart nodded and slowly turned to face the entrance. His breathing with rugged and shallow. This was probably the most scared he had been in his entire life. "You sure you don't want to test it first?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Ron reached forward and jabbed his wand into Lockhart's back with just enough pressure to throw him off of his balance. Lockhart let out a scream and in the process of trying to regain his footing, fell into the tunnel.

Lockhart's screams echoed for a while until there was a loud _boom_ , indicating he had landed. Then, all was silent. 

"It's really quite filthy down here." Lockhart's voice carried from the bottom of the tunnel. He was alive. 

The three friends look to each other and nodded, signalling that they were ready to go, despite the looks of fear on their faces.

"Oh, Harry?" Myrtle emerged one last time before the three made the jump. "If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet."

Harry wasn't sure what to say except, "Thanks, Myrtle."

Then, without warning, Harry leapt into the dark abyss. Shaye, who could tell Ron needed a few more seconds to convince himself to jump, went next.

Shaye's head smacked back against the cement side of the tunnel and she slid down and down, almost like she was in a waterslide without any water. She could hear her own screaming in her ears mixed with Harry's screaming in front of her and Ron's behind her.

Then, she landed hard in a pile of something crunchy and sharp. With one look down, she felt her heart jump into her throat. She had landed in a pile of bones. 


	28. The Chamber of Secrets

Shaye's feet crunched with every step she took, the brittle bones of small animal skeletons crumbling beneath her weight. At least, from what she could see, there were no human skeletons in the mix.

Pulling out her wand, Shaye pointed it at Lockhart to keep him from trying anything funny. Harry and Ron followed her lead.

"Now, remember: Any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away," Harry said. 

And with that, the group ventured into one of the many tunnels that made up what Shaye assumed to be some sort of underground sewer system. When she first heard that the basilisk had been using the pipes to get around the school she was a little skeptical, but based on just how large the pipes she was waking through now were, she had no problem believing it anymore.

Stepping out of the cement tunnel, Harry dropped down into a cave. It was dark and musty and the ceiling was so low it made Shaye feel trapped, and she wasn't even claustrophobic. In the middle of the cave, there sat a pile of something thin, brown and rather gross looking. 

"What's this?" Shaye asked.

"It looks like a snake." Lockhart inspected the discovery. 

Harry nodded, proving that somehow, Lockhart was right. "It's a snakeskin," he said.

"Bloody hell," Ron commented. "Whatever shed this must have been sixty feet long. Or more."

The snakeskin was so long and large that Shaye couldn't even begin to imagine the size of the snake it had once belonged to. She didn't try too hard, however, because the thought only terrified her more.

Hearing a crash from behind her, Shaye turned to see Lockhart lying on the cave floor, his pastel robes now covered in dust and dirt.

"Heart of a lion, this one." Ron scoffed. 

Not even a full ten seconds later, Lockhart jumped back up and snatched Ron's wand out of his hand. Shaye shrugged nonchalantly. Sure, the plan wasn't completely dimwitted . . . but it was _Ron's_ wand that he had stolen, and in true Ron fashion, he hadn't bothered to get a new wand all year long.

"The adventure ends here." Lockhart pointed Ron's broken wand at the three children with a look of triumph on his face. "But don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So . . . you first, Mr. Potter. Say goodbye to your memories. _Obliviate!_ "

As expected, the spell backfired with Ron's wand and a burst of green light shot back at Lockhart, sending him smacking into the hard cave wall and falling back to the ground. 

"You reckon he's really down for the count this time?" Shaye asked, but before anyone could answer or even smirk at her quip, the cave began to shake. 

Dust began to fall from the ceiling, the blast from the spell and Lockhart smacking into the rocks clearly having knocked something loose. The cave continued to shake and rumble until a rockslide of boulders landed between the three students, leaving Shaye and Harry on one side and Ron and Lockhart on the other.

When the shaking finally stopped and the cave had settled once more, Shaye was glad to see that both she and Harry were still fine.

"Harry!" Ron shouted from the other side of the rock wall. "Shaye!"

"Ron!" Harry responded. "Ron, are you okay?"

"I'm okay!" Ron answered and Shaye and Harry could hear Lockhart muttering something. "Lockhart's memory charm backfired. He hasn't got a clue who he is."

Lockhart let out a laugh and Shaye and Harry peeked at him through a small hole in the rubble. "It's an odd sort of place, isn't it?" he picked up a stone and tossed it between his hands. "Do you live here?"

Shaye was suddenly very grateful she had gotten stuck on the side that she had.

Ron took the stone from Lockhart. "No." he shook his head.

"Really?"

Already fed up with Lockhart's new personality, which was somehow worse than the self-involved one he had started with, Ron smacked the professor over the head with the rock, knocking him out once more. Hopefully, he would stay like that for a while this time.

"What do I do now?" Ron asked.

"You wait here and try and shift some of this rock so we can get back through," Harry told him. "Shaye and I will go on and find Ginny."

"Okay."

Stepping away from the wall of boulders, Shaye and Harry pulled out their wands and continued further into the cave. At the other end, a cement wall with a circular door blocked their path. On the door, seven snake heads twisted out from the hinge, preventing the door from being opened.

"Think maybe Parseltongue will help with this entrance too?" Shaye asked.

Harry shrugged. There was only one way to find out. Once again, he said something in the snake-language that he hadn't even known he could speak.

One by one, the seven snake heads recoiled and one long snake slithered out from the large hinge and around the edge of the door, unlocking it. The door then swung open slowly, allowing entry to who it believed to be the true Heir of Slytherin.

Shaye and Harry didn't have time to stand around and wonder what awaited them past the door. Ginny's life was hanging in the balance. So, instead, they stepped through without a second thought.

Through the doorway, the duo came across a ladder and climbed down. When they spun around, they were faced with something they had never been expecting.

The Chamber was huge, easily five times bigger than the Great Hall. A long stone catwalk spanned the length of the Chamber right down the middle, from the ladder to a large statue that sat at in the distance—so far away, in fact, that Shaye could barely make out what it was from where she was standing.

On either side of the catwalk were dark pools of still water, and from that water, seven stone snake heads protruded from either side, lining the catwalk with their mouths hung open, tongues sticking out and fangs on full display.

This had to be the Chamber of Secrets.

Shaye and Harry slowly started to make their way down the catwalk, their footsteps echoing and splashing as they stepped in small puddles. Something had been through the Chamber not long ago, and whatever it was, it had disturbed the now still water and splashed it up onto the catwalk.

What was once a slow meander soon turned into a sprint, however, when Shaye and Harry spotted a body lying in front of the stone statue of the man's face. That body was Ginny.

Shaye and Harry bent down beside Ginny's body, dropping their wands as they did so, but she was unresponsive. Her eyes were closed and her skin was cold and pale. She looked much worse than any of the other petrified victims did. 

What stood out to Shaye was that Ginny was clutching a book in her hands . . . but no, it wasn't just any book . . . it was Tom Riddle's diary.

"Ginny!" Harry shook the youngest Weasley sibling. "Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up! Please wake up!"

"She won't wake." a boy a few years older than Shaye and Harry emerged from the shadows. He was wearing school robes and a Slytherin uniform.

Harry squinted at the boy. "Tom. Tom Riddle." he addressed the boy by name. "What do you mean, she won't wake? She's not . . .?"

"She's still alive, but only just," Tom said as he stepped closer into the light. 

Shaye noted that Tom was a handsome looking boy, but if he was the Tom Riddle who owned the diary Harry had found (the same one Ginny was now clutching in her cold hands), she was more than willing to bet he was more than a simple Hogwarts student from fifty years ago. 

"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.

Tom shook his head. "A memory . . . preserved in a diary for fifty years."

Shaye took Ginny's hand in hers. "She's cold as ice."

While Shaye and Harry focused on Ginny, Tom bent down and picked Harry's wand up from the wet floor.

"You've got to help us, Tom. There's a basilisk." Harry pleaded.

"It won't come until it's called."

Harry looked up at Tom and noticed that he was holding his wand. "Give me my wand, Tom." Harry outstretched his hand.

"You won't be needing it," Tom said.

Harry's eyebrows knit together. "Listen, we've got to go. We've got to save her."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Harry."

Slowly, Shaye rose to her feet again. "Harry . . . I don't think Tom is going to help us."

"Someone's catching on," Tom smirked. "You see, as poor Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger. Yes, Harry, it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets."

"No." Harry refused to believe it. "She couldn't. She wouldn't."

Tom continued. "It was Ginny who set the basilisk on the mudbloods and Filch's cat . . . Ginny who wrote the threatening messages on the walls."

"But why?" Shaye inquired.

"Because I told her to. You'll find I can be very persuasive," Tom answered. "Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still, the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it in the girls' bathroom. And then who should find it but you? The very person I was most anxious to meet."

Harry glared at Tom. "And why did you want to meet me?"

"I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid to gain your trust."

"Hagrid's my friend!" Harry snapped. "And you framed him, didn't you?"

"It was my word against Hagrid's. Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent."

Harry smirked. "I'll bet Dumbledore saw right through you."

"He certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after that. I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school so I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages so that one day I would be able to lead another . . . to finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Well, you haven't finished it this time," Shaye piped up. "In a few hours, the Mandrake Draught will be ready. And everyone who was petrified will be all right again."

Tom merely shook his head and turned to Harry. "Haven't I told you? Killing mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore. For many months now, my new target has been you . . . " his gaze shifted to Shaye and he eyed her carefully, ". . . and it was just my luck that you decided to bring your little friend along with you." 

Shaye and Harry took a cautious step back.

"How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time?" Tom was growing angrier now. He drew his wand on Harry. "How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why do you care how I escaped?" Harry spat. "Voldemort was after your time."

"Voldemort is my past, present and future." Tom used Harry's wand to write **TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE** in the air in messy, red print. Then, with a swish of the wand, the letter rearranged to spell out **I AM LORD VOLDEMORT**.

"You." Harry gasped as the words faded into nothingness. "You're the Heir of Slytherin. You're Voldemort."

Tom glared at Harry. "Surely you didn't think I was going to keep my filthy muggle father's name? No. I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world."

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world." Harry retorted. 

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me."

"He'll never be gone. Not as long as those who remain are loyal to him."

Hearing a loud screech, Shaye, Harry and Tom looked up to see Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, swooping into the Chamber with something in its talons. Fawkes flew over the top of Harry and dropped something into his hands before soaring off just as quickly as he had appeared.

Looking down at his hands, Harry untied the delivery and soon found himself holding the Sorting Hat. Shaye stared at the hat quizically.

"So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender." Tom mocked. "A songbird and an old hat."

Without another word, Tom turned to the large face statue behind himself and outstretched his arm. He said something in Parseltongue and in response, the statue's mouth opened. "Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter."

Shaye and Harry stared wide-eyed at the mouth of the statue, their bodies freezing on the spot at the sight of the great snake that slithered out. It was bigger than Shaye had ever imagined. It was the basilisk.

Dropping the hat, Harry grabbed Shaye by the arm and pulled her along behind him. Together, they ran back down the catwalk as fast as their little legs could take them. They could hear the basilisk behind them but neither one dared to look back, fearing they would face the beast's eye and die right then and there. 

"Parseltongue won't save you now, Potter!" Tom called. "It only obeys me."

Shaye could see the ladder in the distance and with every step, they got closer and closer. Then, Harry slipped on the wet floor and his feet shot out from underneath himself. Harry fell forward and since his hand was still wrapped around Shaye's wrist, he took her down with him.

Shaye's head had already been aching slightly from when she had hit it on the tunnel during the journey down, but as she banged it a second time, her vision became a little fuzzy. 

Harry's glasses fell from his face and by the time he had managed to get them back on, the basilisk was looming over the two students. 

This particular duo had had many close calls together, and this one was no different. The basilisk hissed loudly and opened its mouth of long, sharp fangs. But before it had the chance to attack, Fawkes swooped down once more and dug his talons into the snake's eyes.

The basilisk thrashed furiously but Fawkes didn't let go until he had made sure the monster's eyes were no longer useful.

"No!" Tom cried out. "Your bird may have blinded the basilisk, but it can still hear you."

Shaye and Harry jumped to their feet and tried once more to escape but Tom had been right; the basilisk picked up on their footsteps on the wet catwalk immediately and lunged. 

Harry grabbed Shaye once more and pulled her through the pool of water, which turned out to be much more shallow than it looked. Together, they dashed further into the surrounding tunnels and took a sharp left turn. They ran faster and faster, the taste of blood present in their mouths as adrenaline coursed through their veins.

Eventually, however, they made a wrong turn. In a small side tunnel, a grate blocked them from escaping any further. The basilisk was quickly approaching. They couldn't go forward and they couldn't go back.

Backs pressed into the rusty metal grate, Shaye and Harry held their breaths and prayed the snake wouldn't hear them. Slowly, the basilisk's head came into view, the sockets where its eyes should have been now nothing but red, bleeding holes. 

The basilisk stopped in front of the duo and listened carefully, a low, bone-chilling hiss coming from its mouth; the same mouth that held rows upon rows of sharp fangs. 

Thinking quick, Harry picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it past the basilisk. When the sound of the stone landing echoed through the tunnel, the basilisk backed away from the students and slithered away. When it was finally far enough that Shaye and Harry were sure it wouldn't hear their footsteps again, they headed back the way they had come.

Tom was still standing in front of the statue and Ginny was still lying motionless at his feet. She looked even paler than before.

"Yes, the process is nearly complete." Tom boasted. "In a few minutes, Ginny Weasley will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory. Lord Voldemort will return . . . very much alive."

"Ginny?" Shaye tried to wake the girl once more. 

It was then that the basilisk shot up through one of the pools of water, proving that some sections were, in fact, as deep as they looked. The monster let out a great screech. It wasn't going to stop until Harry and Shaye were dead.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Harry glanced over at the Sorting Hat and watched with bewilderment as a sword materialized from within it. Harry grabbed the sword and without another word, started to scale the statue.

Shaye, unsure what to do, pulled Ginny into her arms to keep her safe and drew her wand, ready to cast as many spells as she knew if Tom or the basilisk tried to go after them.

With bated breath, Shaye watched Harry battle the serpent. He swung the sword a couple of times and missed at first, leaving the basilisk open for an attack. The snake lunged at Harry but missed, cracking the statue by accident.

Harry climbed even higher, narrowly missing another attack and almost falling in the process. But eventually, he was able to pull himself up, make it to the top of the statue, and wait for the right moment. 

The basilisk approached once more, listening carefully for Harry's footsteps as he maintained his balance on the top of the stone man's head. Harry swung the sword again, one time, two times, three times. The basilisk whipped its head around, throwing Harry back and causing him to drop the sword.

Shaye's breathing hitched as the sword slowly began to slip from the top of the statue, but Harry lunged for it and caught it without a second left to spare. This time, when the basilisk lunged, Harry jabbed the blade up through the top of its mouth and into its head, but not before being punctured in the arm by one of the teeth.

Both Harry and the basilisk cried out in pain, but when the snake collapsed to the ground, Harry remained standing. 

"Harry!" Shaye screamed. "Are you okay?"

With one hard tug, Harry pulled the basilisk fang out of his arm. "Yes." he breathed and began his descent. 

Harry, with the bloodied sword in one hand and the basilisk fang in the other, hobbled over to where Shaye was waiting, Ginny still in her arms. Despite what Harry said, he did not like okay at all. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, the sword slipping from his hands. 

"Remarkable, isn't is . . . how quickly the venom of the basilisk penetrates the body?" Tom seemed indifferent to the death of his serpent. "I'd guess you have little more than a minute to live. You'll be with your dear mudblood mother soon, Harry."

"Harry." Shaye felt tears collect in her eyes. "There must be something we can do." She wracked her brain for a cure to basilisk venom but she had nothing. She had only just learned about the creature's existence that day, after all.

Harry didn't seem the least bit worried about himself, however. Instead, the crawled over to Ginny and took the red-headed girl's hand in his own. 

A faint smile spread across Tom's face. "Funny, the damage a silly little book can do . . . especially in the hands of a silly little girl."

Having nothing to lose and everything to gain, Harry pulled the diary out of Ginny's hands, laid it on the ground and opened it.

Worry flickered in Tom's eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Taking the basilisk fang firm in his hand, Harry scowled up at Tom before plunging the tooth into the pages of the diary. The book, somehow, began to bleed.

"Stop! No!" Tom tried to stop Harry but he recoiled when a tear appeared in his chest, golden light seeping from it. 

The more Harry stabbed, the more the book bled and the more Tom screamed in pain. Eventually, golden light was shining out from tears all over Tom's body and as Harry closed the diary and stabbed through the front cover, Tom burst into tiny golden sparks and disappeared into thin air.

"Harry, you did it!" Shaye exclaimed. 

Ginny's eyes immediately shot open and she looked around, wide-eyed and gasping for breath. Shaye let go of her hold on the girl and slowly, she managed to sit up on her own. 

"Shaye. Harry." Ginny breathed out. "It was me. But I swear, I didn't mean to. Riddle made me, and . . ." Ginny stopped talking when she noticed the wound on Harry's arm. "Harry, you're hurt."

"Don't worry," Harry told her. "Shaye is going to get you out now, Ginny. Follow the Chamber back and you'll meet up with Ron."

Another familiar cry came from above and for a split second, Shaye had feared the basilisk was alive again. It wasn't the serpent, however, and instead, Fawkes returning for a second time. The beautiful phoenix glided through the air before landing beside Harry.

"You were brilliant, Fawkes," Harry told the bird. "I just wasn't quick enough."

Tears began to slide down Shaye's cheeks and she took Harry's hand in her own. "There must be a way," she said, and as it turns out, there was.

Fawkes slowly lowered his face down next to Harry's arm and a single teardrop fell from his eye onto the bleeding wound. Instantly, the injury went away and Harry's skin didn't even show a single trace that it had ever been hurt in the first place. 

That's when Shaye remembered what Dumbledore had said. "Phoenix tears have healing powers." she smiled and wiped the tears from her face. 

Harry smiled too. "Thanks," he told Fawkes before turning to the frightened girl between him and Shaye. "It's all right, Ginny. It's over. It's just a memory."


	29. Truths Discovered, Secrets Uncovered

Shaye couldn't exactly remember how she, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Lockhart had gotten out of the Chamber of Secrets. When she closed her eyes and thought hard enough, she could see bits and pieces of it, like Fawkes the phoenix and Harry smiling. She could also hear Lockhart shouting something happily, his memory still wiped, but that was about it.

When Shaye woke up in the hospital wing the following morning, she thought back not-so-fondly to how she had ended up in the same place at the end of her first year. A pattern was growing that didn't exactly leave Shaye looking forward to how she would be spending her remaining five years at Hogwarts, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. Instead, she was simply grateful to be alive and proud of herself and her friends. 

Shaye's head still ached a little when she finally sat up but Madam Pomfrey assured her it was nothing more than a minor concussion and that with the healing potion she had given her the night before, she would be feeling good as new in no time.

Harry and Ron were waiting for the girl when she exited the hospital wing around mid-morning and together, they headed toward Dumbledore's office, unsure if he was going to congratulate or punish them. Frankly, neither one of the trio knew what to expect. 

Either way, Dumbledore, like always, delivered the news fairly and calmly.

When the three friends climbed up the narrow, twisting staircase to the headmaster's office and opened the door, Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk in the same maroon robes that he had been wearing the night he had been suspended. Fawkes was sitting on his perch beside the desk and blinking down at the three students, ruffling his feathers and slowly beginning to doze off as if he hadn't just battled a basilisk himself.

"You three realize, of course, that in the past few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules," Dumbledore said. There was no anger or disappointment in his voice. He was simply stating the facts. 

Nevertheless, the three students felt guilty. "Yes, sir," they responded in unison.

"There is sufficient evidence to have all three of you expelled."

"Yes, sir."

"Therefore, it is only fitting that you all receive . . . Special Awards for Services to the School." Dumbledore smiled softly.

Shaye, Harry and Ron shared a dumbfounded look. Sure, they hadn't known what, exactly, to expect when they had been called into the headmaster's office, but this wasn't even on the list of possible outcomes they had guessed on their way over. They had broken a dozen school rules and were being awarded?

"Thanks, sir." the trio smiled in response. 

"Now, Mr. Weasley, if you would have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban." Dumbledore handed over a folded bunch of papers to Ron. "I believe we want our gamekeeper back."

Ron nodded and went on his way.

"And Miss Frazier." Dumbledore looked to Shaye next. "I'd like to have a word with you if I could. If you please, just wait outside until I've finished with Harry."

"Of course, sir." Shaye turned and left the office as well, leaving Harry alone with Dumbledore.

As Shaye descended the steps once more and waited in the corridor beside the gargoyle statue, her mind began to run amuck with questions and concerns. What did Dumbledore need to speak to Harry about? What did he need to speak to her about? Why didn't he ask to speak to Ron? Would Hermione be awarded a Special Service to the School too?

Before Shaye had a chance to try and flesh out some of the answers for herself, she heard someone coming down the corridor and looked up to see Lucius Malfoy striding toward the entrance to Dumbledore's office, the snake-head cane in his hand and a bumbling house-elf at his feet.

Lucius paid the brown-haired girl no mind and swept past her as if she weren't even there. He marched up the steps and threw open the office door forcefully; Shaye could tell that much purely based on how loud the sound was.

Shaye could hear faint voices coming from the office, meaning the door had been left open. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, and certainly would never do it on purpose if it were just Harry and Dumbledore, but something about the way Lucius stormed past made her curious beyond belief.

"Dobby." Shaye heard Harry address someone and she assumed it must have been the house-elf; the same house-elf that had been trying to keep Harry away from Hogwarts all year. "So this is your master. The family you serve is the Malfoys."

Shaye heard Lucius mutter something after that, but it was too low for her to make it out. "So, it's true." Shaye heard him raise his voice next. "You have returned."

"When the governors learned that Arthur Weasley's daughter was taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back," Dumbledore replied. 

"Ridiculous."

"Curiously, Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their family if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place."

Shaye grinned. She had known it was too much of a stretch for all twelve members of the council to willingly sign Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. Unlike Lucius, most wizards were aware that Dumbledore was the best headmaster the school could ever ask for.

"How dare you!" Lucius snapped and Shaye crept closer to the staircase to hear better.

"Beg your pardon?" Dumbledore's tone remained calm.

"My sole concern has always been and will always be the welfare of this school and, of course, its students." there was a pause in Lucius' retort. "The culprit has been identified, I presume?"

"Yes."

"And? Who was it?"

There was a moment of silence before Dumbledore answered. "Voldemort. Only this time he chose to act through somebody else by means of this."

Shaye, of course, couldn't see what Dumbledore was referring to but she presumed it to be Tom Riddle's diary.

Lucius cleared his throat. "I see."

"Fortunately, our young Mr. Potter discovered it. One hopes that no more of Lord Voldemort's old school-things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be . . . severe."

"Well, let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day."

"Don't worry." Shaye heard Harry say. "I will be."

Seconds later, Shaye could hear a pair of footsteps approaching the staircase and she quickly darted back to where she had been sitting before. The last thing she needed was to get caught snooping in other people's business; even if, in a way, it was her business too.

Sitting quietly with her knees to her chest, Shaye watched as Lucius Malfoy stormed back down the stairs. This time, as he passed, he threw a quick glance in the girl's direction but the scowl on his face showed nothing more than the disdain she had come to expect from him.

Dobby was trotting along behind Lucius, letting out a whimper every few seconds when Lucius would round on him and smack him with his cane simply because he could.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Harry rushed down the steps not long after and ran after Lucius. In his hand, he was carrying the diary.

Shaye stood to her feet and inched closer, worried about what was going to happen.

"I have something of yours." Harry shoved the diary into Lucius' hand. 

Lucius looked down at the diary with a disgusted look on his face. "Mine?" he snapped. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do, sir," Harry said. "I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron that day at Diagon Ally."

"You do, do you?" Lucius thrust the tattered, destroyed diary into Dobby's little hands. "Why don't you prove it?"

With a knowing smirk, Lucius turned on his heel and started back down the corridor. Dobby didn't follow, however. Instead, he opened the diary and pulled a dirty, black sock from between the pages. His eyes welled up and he looked as if he had been given the best Christmas gift ever.

"Master has given Dobby a sock." Dobby held the article of clothing tight in his hand. 

Lucius spun around. "What? I didn't give-" He fell silent when he spotted the sock.

"Master has presented Dobby with clothes!" Dobby exclaimed happily. "Dobby is free!"

Returning the knowing smirk, Harry slowly lifted his pant leg to reveal that he was no longer wearing a sock on his right foot. Harry had hidden his own sock inside of the diary. Shaye couldn't help but smile.

"You lost me my servant!" Lucius growled and pulled his wand from the end of his cane and advanced on Harry. 

Dobby instinctively stepped in front of Harry. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!"

Lucius rose his wand high above his head and began to recite a spell, but before he could finish, Dobby waved his hand at Lucius as a burst of blue light sent the man shooting back a few meters. Lucius landed hard on the stone floor and let out a groan. Dobby nodded triumphantly.

"Your parents were meddlesome fools too." Lucius seethed as he rose to his feet. "Mark my words, Potter. One day soon you are going to meet the same sticky end."

As Lucius huffed and marched off, his head held a little too high for someone who had just been bested by his own house-elf, Dobby turned to Harry and beamed up at him.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby," Dobby said. "How can Dobby ever repay him?"

"Just promise me something." Harry requested.

"Anything, sir."

"Never try to save my life again."

Dobby smiled sheepishly and shrugged in agreement. Harry smiled too.

With the knowledge that Harry was okay, Shaye gave him a quick wave and told him she would meet him at the feast that evening. Then, she turned toward the spiral staircase and headed up to Dumbledore's office. The door was already open and Dumbledore was still sitting at his desk, the same as before. When he noticed Shaye, he waved her in.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Shaye stepped up to the desk slowly. Suddenly, all the questions and concerns came back. 

"Indeed, I did." Dumbledore clasped his hands together and gave a curt nod. "It has come to my attention, Miss Frazier, that you may be struggling with some of the same problems as your dear friend, Harry."

Shaye wasn't sure what to say. She averted her gaze ever-so-slightly and found herself looking at the Sorting Hat, which was sitting atop Dumbledore's desk. "When the rumours about me and Harry started to go around, everyone was so quick to believe them," Shaye sighed. "I know Harry has his own reasons for believing he should have been placed in Slytherin, as I have mine, but I just can't shake the feeling that the hat was right."

"The hat is very wise, my dear." 

Shaye chuckled a little. "Yeah, my dad said that to me before my first day."

"And your dad was right," Dumbledore said. "What many people fail to understand about the complexity of the human mind is that often times, there are aspects of ourselves which we are unable to see. The hat, however, can see those traits which we cannot."

"So . . . the hat knows me better than I know myself?"

"Indeed, it does," Dumbledore confirmed. "This does not mean, however, that you will never see these traits in yourself. In fact, the very act of sorting Hogwarts students into houses is to place everyone in an environment which best suits them; an environment where they can discover the very reasons they were placed in said house. So yes, it may be true that there are surface qualities that match you equally to both Gryffindor and Slytherin, and even some deeper ones you may not be aware of yet, but just like Harry, you were placed in Gryffindor because you wanted to be."

Shaye furrowed her brows. "I didn't know the hat took into account what we wanted."

"Of course, it does. After all, it is not our characteristics that define us, but our choices. Your choice was to be better than the sister that came before you. That was what you desired."

"So if I _had_ been placed in Slytherin, I would eventually become like my sister?"

Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "Possibly yes . . . and possibly no. That being said, however, no two people are exactly alike. Your choices are your own and thus, your path is your own . . . and no Sorting Hat or older sister could ever take that away from you."

Shaye felt a weight she hadn't even been aware of lift from her shoulders. For the first time, she felt as though she truly possessed the ability to take her life into her own hands and become her own person. It was an odd feeling, to say the least. It was as if she had been living in a shadow her entire life and had finally stepped out into the sunlight for herself.

"Sir, about my sister . . ." she started and saw Dumbledore's eyebrows quirk with interest, ". . . do you think that the things everyone says about her are true?"

"I believe that there is more to any one person than what their reputation tells us," Dumbledore answered. "But I'm afraid that my opinion on this matter is neither here nor there. The real question is, do _you_ believe them?"

Shaye shook her head. "No, sir, I don't. I can't quite explain why . . . it's just a feeling I have. It's like, even when all of the evidence suggested that Hagrid was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets, a feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it wasn't true. I guess I feel the same way about my sister."

"It takes great feats of courage and nerve to form a unique opinion about something which everyone else seems to so openly feel differently about. Often, our opinions are more skewed by the people around us than we know."

"Well, the only thing I know is that almost everyone thinks I'm delusional." Shaye shrugged.

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth curled into a smile. "That makes it all the more fun when you prove them wrong." He then leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice. "If I may give you one piece of advice, Miss Frazier, it is that life is less about uncovering secrets and more about discovering truths; and more often than not, the truth lies not within ourselves but inside those we hold most dear."

Shaye tried her best to internalize every word of what Dumbledore had just said, and when he eventually dismissed her, she found herself reciting the advice over and over again in her head, searching for some hidden meaning.

Dumbledore's words stayed with her until it was time for the feast that evening. Ready to enjoy a celebratory meal, Shaye was just about to enter the Great Hall when she spotted Hermione coming down the staircase. 

Shaye smiled wide and ran over to her best friend, pulling her in for a tight hug. "Oh, Hermione, I'm so happy you're okay! I missed you so much!"

"Don't worry about me." Hermione brushed off the worry. "I heard what you guys did. You saved the school!"

"We couldn't have done it without you."

When Harry and Ron looked up from the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione standing there beside Shaye, her skin back to its normal colour and her body completely un-petrified, they jumped up and ran over. 

Hermione hugged Harry tight before moving to Ron, who seemed uncomfortable with a hug and stuck out his hand for a handshake instead. Normally, the two would have started bickering about something by then, but they didn't this time.

"Welcome back, Hermione," Ron said.

"It's good to be back." Hermione smiled. "Congratulations. I can't believe you solved it."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but Shaye beat him to it. "I already told her that we couldn't have done it without her help." she laughed.

Tapping her spoon against her goblet, McGonagall waited until the Hall had quieted down before speaking. "Could I have your attention, please?" she announced before handing the spotlight over to Dumbledore.

As Dumbledore rose from his golden throne, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been petrified," Dumbledore stated before the Hall broke out into applause. "Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat . . . all exams have been cancelled."

That was the best news anymore could have hoped for. Well, anyone except Hermione, who looked genuinely disappointed at the cancelling of the end-of-year exams. 

Just then, the double doors to the Great Hall swept open and Hagrid walked in. "Sorry I'm late." he grinned. "The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol."

Ron's face fell and he turned toward Dumbledore with an apologetic look. Dumbledore just nodded knowingly. 

Making his way down the Great Hall, Hagrid stopped in front of Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione. "And I'd just like to say that if it hadn't been for you, Harry and Ron and Shaye . . . and Hermione, of course . . . I would still be you-know-where, so I'd just like to say thanks."

Standing from his seat, Harry looked up at Hagrid. "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid," he said and wrapped his small arms around Hagrid's large torso.

Dumbledore began to clap, followed by McGonagall and then the rest of the teaching staff and students. Before long, the entire Great Hall was applauding Hagrid who, as Harry had so perfectly put it, there was no Hogwarts without.

And just like that, another year had come and gone at Hogwarts; another year full of mystery, fear, broken school rules and most important of all, friendship. 


	30. A Summer Well Spent

**Year 3 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

"Oh, is that what our daughter looks like, Elise?" Dorian peered over the top of his newspaper at Shaye, who had just come down for breakfast. "I'd all but forgotten."

Shaye rolled her eyes as she grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, a box of cereal from the pantry, and the jug of milk from the fridge. After spending nearly all summer hold up in her room, pouring over the map she had found her first year at Hogwarts, the letter about the Lost Wanderer and repeating Dumbledore's words over and over again in her head, she was used to the comments and jokes about her rare appearances around the house, and they got tiring really fast.

Not all of Shaye's limited summer activities were her doing, however. For the first few weeks of break, she had been serving the grounding she had coming from the year previous when she, Harry and Ron had taken the flying car without permission. So, she passed the time by looking for clues about her sister. After those few weeks were up though, she had become too caught up in her 'sleuthing' to do anything else. 

Of course, Shaye couldn't tell her parents the truth about what she was really doing in her room, so she had lied and said she was reading up in advance for her third-year classes. This meant that she had to have some sort of textbook on her at all time (and also that she had needed to purchase her school supplies for the year much earlier than normal to keep the ruse up) but somehow, she had managed to make it through two months with neither of her parents suspecting anything. 

The one catch, however, was that she was going to have to do really well in her classes this year or else it would seem like she was the most useless witch in all of London. With pre-reading two months in advance, her parents were expecting Hermione-level grades.

"Your humour never ceases to amaze me," Shaye said with a straight face as she sat down at the table with her bowl of cereal. 

"We're just worried about you, is all." Elise smiled and took one of Shaye's brown braids in her hand. Shaye rolled her eyes. "Not that we're not proud of you for taking your studies so seriously, because we are . . . but most kids your age are out playing all summer."

Dorian nodded. "The only time I ever saw you walk out that front door was to check for letters from your friends that that knobhead of an owl of yours dropped outside your window."

"Hey!" Shaye spoke with a mouth full of cereal. "Erwin is not a knobhead! He's just small . . . he has trouble holding those big envelopes with his tiny talons sometimes."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Dorian scolded lightly. "And didn't I tell you that getting a small owl was going to cause you more trouble than any bird could ever make up for in cuteness?"

Shaye smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Yeah, but . . . he's _is_ really cute."

Dorian just shook his head before folding his newspaper back up and setting it down on the table. Shaye scanned the front page quickly, the headline reading, **Escape from Azkaban** with a deranged-looking man laughing manically below it. 

Shaye shovelled a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Who's that?" she gestured to the man with her spoon, a drip of milk dropping onto the paper and smudging some of the ink.

"You are such a mess." Dorian swatted his daughter's spoon away. "When are you leaving again?" Shaye just rolled her eyes again and waited for an answer. "That's Sirius Black," he finally said.

"Cool." 

"He is an escaped convict. _Not_ 'cool'."

Finished with her breakfast, Shaye took her dishes to the sink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Mum, Dad thinks I'm going to grow up and become an escaped convict."

Elise, who was barely paying attention as she read through a recipe, nodded slowly. "As long as you're happy, we will support whatever you want to do."

Dorian rubbed his temples with his fingers and sighed. Sometimes, being the only man in the house was tiresome. "I know I was joking when I said this before, but when are you actually leaving?" he asked.

"Hermione's parents are giving me a ride," Shaye answered. "They should be here soon. Which reminds me, were you able to get that copy of The Monster Book of Monsters from work that you said you would get? I need it for my Care of Magical Creatures class this year."

Dorian nodded and gestured to the hall. "Yes, it's on the table by the front door. The department had a whole bunch of them just lying around."

"And why did the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures—a department that I assume is filled with experts in the field—have a bunch of school books lying around?" Shaye questioned as she walked into the hall, grabbed the book and stuffed it into her trunk, which was already packed and ready to go by the door.

"Sometimes we give them to the new guys as a joke," Dorian smirked. "It's funny."

"Sounds hilarious." 

Just then, a car horn sounded from the driveway and Shaye peeked out the window. Hermione was sitting in the back seat of a family-style car, waving happily. Her parents were waving as well. 

"Hermione's here." Shaye started to grab her things. "Bye!" She hoped that maybe she could get out the door before her mother trapped her in one of her tight, suffocating hugs. No such luck, however.

Elise ran up behind her daughter and embraced her tightly. "Have a good time at school, darling!" she squeezed even tighter. "We will see you at Christmas. You _are_ coming home for the holidays this year, _right_?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." Shaye wiggled out of the hug and threw the front door open before her mother could read too much into that answer. "Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad!"

Shaye heard her father shout his goodbye from the kitchen seconds before she closed the front door behind herself and escaped down the driveway with her things. After jamming her trunk into the boot of the car, Shaye climbed into the backseat with Erwin's cage in her lap. 

"Hello, Shaye," Hermione's parents said in unison. "So good to see you again. How was your summer?"

Shaye smiled as Hermione's dad backed out of the driveway and started for the Leaky Cauldron in London. "It was good, thank you. And yours?"

"Just splendid," Hermione's mother replied.

It was then that Shaye noticed the fluffy, orange cat sitting in Hermione's lap. "You got a cat?" she reached out and scratched the feline's chin. 

"This is Crookshanks." Hermione gave the cat a pat between the ears. "Mum and Dad _finally_ let me get one. He's just perfect!"

Crookshanks locked eyes on Erwin and licked his lips slowly. Erwin let out a tiny hoot and buried his head in his wing, remaining that way for the duration of the drive. 

On the way to the Leaky Cauldron, the two girls did as much catching up as they could. For the most part, however, there wasn't much to say because they had written so much back and forth over the summer that they knew everything there was to know about one another.

"Did Ron send you a postcard from his family's vacation in Egypt?" Shaye asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he sure did. I didn't hear much from Harry, though."

"Yeah, me neither. But I suppose that's just the way it is when you live with an Aunt and Uncle that hate your guts."

"I suppose so."

Having arrived at the Leaky Cauldron not long after, Hermione said goodbye to her parents and Shaye thanked them for the ride. The two girls then unloaded their luggage and animals and headed inside where the familiar sounds of the Weasley family filled the small pub section of the popular wizarding pub and inn.

The first thing that Shaye noticed was the many wanted posters of Sirius Black that had been posted all over the walls. Then she saw Ron's rat, Scabbers, darting along the floor. Crookshanks licked his lips again. This was a disaster waiting to happen. 

Shaye and Hermione said their hellos and then within less than five minutes, Hermione's cat was chasing Ron's rat through the hallways and they were yelling at one another. Shaye smiled at the sound of the two friends snapping at one another; a balance had been restored.

"I'm warning you, Hermione." Ron picked Scabbers up and held him close. "Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers, or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!"

Hermione huffed. "It's a cat, Ronald. What do you expect? It's in his nature."

"A cat? Is that what they told you?" Ron eyed the orange feline. "Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me."

"That's rich, coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush." Hermione scowled. "It's all right, Crookshanks. You just ignore the mean little boy."

"Ron, aren't you supposed to keep Scabbers in a cage?" Shaye reasoned. "I mean, come on, you lose that thing more than Neville loses his toad, Trevor."

Ron gasped. "Why're you taking her side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side!" Shaye denied. "I'm just saying, we're fighting over a literal game of cat and mouse here."

"He's a rat, not a mouse!"

"You know what I mean!"

"Harry!" Ron chirped, throwing Shaye and Hermione off with his sudden change in emotion.

Confused at first, Shaye and Hermione turned around to find Harry standing on the staircase behind them, smirking at the silly bickering-match he had most likely just witnessed.

Without hesitation, Ron dove head-first into sharing the adventures of his trip to Egypt with Harry, who hadn't received one of the postcards that Ron had sent out. Ron went on and on, repeating the same thing more than once and being too caught up in the excitement to even notice.

"You'd swear he went to the moon," Shaye whispered to Hermione, who chuckled.

Harry, however, was just as interested in hearing about the trip as Ron was reliving it. "Egypt!" Harry exclaimed when Ron pulled out a photo of him and his family in an issue of the paper that he had saved. "What's it like?"

"Brilliant!" Ron beamed. "Loads of old stuff like mummies, tombs . . . even Scabbers enjoyed himself."

"You know the Egyptians used to worship cats." Hermione couldn't help herself from throwing out that little tidbit of information.

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, along with the dung beetle."

"Oh, I really missed this." Shaye shared an amused look with Harry from across the table. "It's really not the same without the constant fighting."

Harry snickered. "Yeah."

"Not flashing that clipping about again, are you, Ron?" Fred asked as he and George joined the gathering at the table.

Ron tried to hide the paper. "I haven't shown anyone."

Fred snatched the paper out of his hands. "No, not a soul." George mocked him. "Not unless you count Tom."

"The day maid," Fred added. 

"The night maid."

"The cook."

"That bloke who can't fix the toilet."

"And that wizard from Belgium."

Shaye laughed. "He even told me twice."

Ron cocked a brow. "No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did!" Shaye reminded him. "You sent me a postcard the week after you got back and then two days later I received the same postcard with nearly the exact same message on the back."

"That's harassment, Ronnie." George tsked and waved his finger at his younger brother.

Fred nodded. "Worse blokes have gone away for less."

Before either one of the twins could tease Ron any more than they already had, Molly Weasley came bustling in to greet Harry and the others. She did the normal checking-up like she always did, making sure everyone had their supplies and such.

As Ron's dad, Arthur Weasley, pulled Harry aside to have a chat with him about something or another, Shaye turned to Hermione. "Speaking of having everything for school," she started. "I was wondering if you could tutor me a little this year."

Hermione tilted her head slightly. "Tutor you? But you get fine grades."

"Yeah, but because I spent all summer doing . . . _you-know-what_. . . and my parents thought I was studying, I can't be bringing home the same mediocre grades."

Hermione shrugged. She spent half of the school year doing Harry's and Ron's homework for them as it was so a little extra tutoring for someone who actually wanted to learn was no skin off of her back. "Sure," she agreed.

"We'll tutor you," Fred and George spoke in unison, as they often did.

Shaye had to do a mental double-take at that outlandish offer. "I don't think I've ever seen either of you even pick up a book."

They shrugged. "We're still in school somehow, right? Wouldn't you like to know our secret?"

"I've spent two years at Hogwarts and already almost died more times than I can count," Shaye stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not actively looking to uncover any more secrets right now, thank you very much."

Shaye knew that what she had said had been a lie because, no matter how many times she tried to stop herself, she just couldn't resist the urge to learn more about what had happened to her sister. The only difference now was that she had taken Dumbledore's words to heart and had started focusing more on discovering truths rather than uncovering secrets. 

And if there was one thing that Shaye knew about the Weasley twins, it was that they were most definitely full of secrets.

"Miss dramatic this one, isn't she?" Fred snickered as Ginny and Percy sat down at the table. "'Look at me, I'm friends with the famous Harry Potter and now my life is on the line!'"

Ginny furrowed her brows. "If it wasn't for her and Harry, I'd be dead right now." she reminded her brothers. "Knock it off."

Shaye flashed a smile toward Ginny as a show of appreciation.

"Yeah, knock it off, guys!" Ron was quick to throw his hat in the ring when it came to telling off the twins.

Fred and George looked to each other and broke out into laughter. "'Yeah, knock it off, guys!'" George imitated Ron. Shaye would never admit it out loud, but he actually did a pretty good job.

Shaye just shook her head before burying it in her hands. "Sometimes I really wish I was homeschooled," she muttered to no one but herself. 


	31. What Friends Are For

Shaye chuckled quietly to herself as she watched Ron lean out the open window of the moving train and take Scabbers from his mother's hands. Once again, he had lost his rat and this time he had nearly left for school without him.

"A cage," Shaye told him as he pulled the rat through the window and held him tightly. "That's all I'm saying."

"Scabbers doesn't like to be kept in a cage," Ron replied. Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes.

Shaye just shrugged. "Well, it's that or Crookshanks' lunch."

Ron gasped and place a finger over each of Scabbers' ears. "You can't say that!"

With that, Shaye pushed Ron down the aisle of the locomotive and the four friends searched for a compartment to sit in. Because of Ron's wandering rat, however, most were already full.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Harry continued the story he had been telling before about his rude aunt's visit and how he had accidentally performed magic on her out of anger, "I didn't mean to blow her up. I just . . . I lost control."

"And by 'blow her up', you mean . . . ?" Shaye cocked a curious brow.

"She inflated like a balloon and drifted out of the house." Harry clarified.

Ron grinned. "Brilliant."

Hermione, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as amused. "Honestly, Ron, it's not funny. Harry was lucky not to be expelled."

"I think I was lucky not to be arrested, actually," Harry said.

Ron snickered some more. "I still think it was brilliant."

Coming across a compartment that was almost completely empty, save for a man who was sleeping in the corner, Hermione slid the door open and ushered the other three inside. "Come on. Everywhere else is full," she said.

Shaye eyed the man carefully but because he was sleeping in a slumped over position with his jacket draped over himself like a blanket, she couldn't see his face or any defining features. Beside him, a bottle of water sat on the windowsill and a single bag sat on the luggage rack overhead. 

"Who do you think that is?" Ron asked as the group of four filed into the compartment and took their seats.

"Professor RJ Lupin," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

"Do you know everything?" Ron marvelled. "How is it she knows everything."

A look of utter annoyance danced across Hermione's face as she pointed up at the bag on the luggage rack. "It's on his suitcase, Ronald."

And sure enough, just as Hermione had said, the suitcase bore the name RJ Lupin. Shaye had never heard of that name before so she gave up on trying to identify the man. Obviously, it was someone that neither of them had ever met.

"Do you think he's really asleep?" Harry leaned in and watched the man's chest rise and fall rhythmically.

Shaye observed the man before nodding. "Seems to be. Why?"

"I gotta tell you something." Harry stood and slid the compartment door shut. 

As the train travelled through the countryside, the sun falling, rain starting to pour down hard and a thick fog beginning to form, Harry explained to his three friends what Ron's father had told him back at the Leaky Cauldron. 

The short version of the story was that Sirius Black, who had once been a follower of You-Know-Who and had lost everything when he had been destroyed, had escaped Azkaban to get his revenge on Harry. It was a rather dark tale and the glum weather outside matched the atmosphere inside perfectly.

"Let me get this straight." Ron thought for a moment before recapping everything he had just been told. "Sirius Black escaped Azkaban to come after you?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"But they'll catch Black, won't they?" Hermione reasoned. "I mean, everyone's looking for him."

"Sure." Ron furrowed his brows. "Except no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before, and he's a murderous, raving lunatic."

"Thanks, Ron." Harry blinked a few times, finding absolutely no comfort in that statement.

Shaye was silent for a moment or two while she workshopped something in her head. "If this Sirius Black guy was a follower of You-Know-Who, do you think he knows something about the Lost Wanderer?" 

The other three pondered that suggestion. "Anything's possible, I suppose," Hermione answered. "Why? Have you found anything out about the Lost Wanderer?"

"No, nothing," Shaye replied honestly. "But I _was_ thinking, what if the Lost Wanderer isn't actually missing . . . what if they're just locked up in Azkaban too? I mean, whoever they are, they were a follower of You-Know-Who at one point. Maybe they know each other."

"The Lost Wanderer and Sirius Black?" Harry asked.

Shaye nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, it doesn't really matter because like Ron's father said, we aren't going to go looking for Sirius Black." Hermione eyed Harry and Shaye specifically when she spoke. " _Right?_ "

"Of course not." Shaye and Harry answered in unison.

"Besides," Shaye added, "I'm thinking that clue is probably just another dead end anyway. I've been spending more time thinking about what Dumbledore told me last year. 'More often than not, the truth lies not within ourselves but inside those we hold most dear.'"

"Well, maybe-" Hermione started but before she could get her thought out, the train came to a screeching halt. "Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet."

Sure enough, when Shaye looked out the window, she could just make out through the rain and fog that they were stopped in the middle of a bridge; nowhere near Hogwarts.

Harry poked his head out of the compartment, as did a bunch of other kids, to see what was going on. That's when the train lurched suddenly and Harry fell back into his seat. Somehow, the man in the corner was still asleep.

"What's going on?" Ron clutched the edge of the seat so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"I don't know," Harry said as the compartment door slid shut on its own. "Maybe we've broken down."

Seconds later, the lights went out in the train. Plunged into darkness, Shaye felt goosebumps rise on her skin and a chill run up her spine. 

"There's something moving out there." Ron's voice shook when he spoke, his face pressed firmly against the glass. The lights flickered before the compartment went pitch black again. "I think someone's coming aboard."

The train lurched again and Hermione let out a gasp. Suddenly, the temperature dropped drastically and the goosebumps on Shaye's arms weren't just from fear anymore. Shaye exhaled slowly and her breath fogged in front of her face before dissipating into the chilly air.

Ron let out a whimper as the window began to freeze over and the water in the bottle on the windowsill turned to ice in the blink of an eye. This wasn't just a mechanical issue anymore . . . this was something much more sinister.

Once again, the train shot forward an inch or so and everyone jumped in their seats. 

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted. "What's happening?"

No one answered. No one knew what was happening. Shrieks were echoing through the Hogwarts Express left and right.

Then, in the dimly lit aisle, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as a black figure appeared outside of their compartment. No one moved. No one even breathed. Slowly, the figure extended a bony, slender hand and opened the compartment door, clutching the frame with its skeleton hand.

The entity that loomed over the four students and the sleeping man was one Shaye had never seen before. It was tall and dark, but the ragged, torn cloak that covered its entire body masked any other features. For some reason, the only thing that kept popping into Shaye's mind was how it resembled a larger version of those cheap Halloween decorations that every muggle store sold in October.

Crookshanks let out a hiss and Scabbers retreated inside Ron's jacket. Everyone leaned as far away from the doorway as they could as the figure scanned the compartment.

When the figure got to Harry, it seemed to lock onto him. Harry drew in a deep breath, unable to look away as the creature seemingly sucked his soul out through his face. Harry's hands gripped the seat tightly and he struggled to get away, but he couldn't.

Shaye wanted to do something but she felt frozen in place. Her body suddenly filled with a feeling of complete and utter hopelessness; like she'd been dragged underwater by a wave of sadness and held there until her face turned blue and she could hear her slow, weak heartbeat in her ears.

Hermione and Ron were the same way, stuck in their seats with no other option but to watch on in horror as Harry writhed in pain.

Just when it seemed like no help would come and Shaye, Ron and Hermione would be forced to watch their friend die, the man in the corner, RJ Lupin, jumped from his seat suddenly and drew his wand. Without uttering even a single word, a glowing blue-ish white light spilled from his wand and the cloaked creature retreated out of the compartment and back into the hall.

As soon as Harry was freed from the invisible grasp on his very being, he closed his eyes and slumped over in the seat, his glasses falling from his face as he did so. He only passed out for a few minutes but when he finally opened his eyes again, the lights had turned back on and the train had started moving again. 

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked as he came to again. She handed him his glasses back.

Harry blinked a few times, his eyes scanning the compartment before he took his glasses and put them back on. "Thanks," he muttered and Shaye helped him sit up again. 

Lupin, who was sitting across from Harry now, pulled a wrapped candy bar out of his jacket pocket, broke off a piece and handed it to Harry. "Here, eat this. It'll help," he said. "It's all right. It's chocolate."

For the first time, Shaye took a second to actually look at Lupin. He seemed to be somewhere in his forties, but early or late she was unsure. He had messy brown hair and a small moustache. His robes were a plain brown. Overall, he did, in fact, look like a professor. 

Harry took the chocolate but didn't take a bite. "What was that thing that came?" he asked, his eyes glued to the doorway like he expected the cloaked figure to return any second.

"It was a dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban," Lupin answered. "It's gone now. It was searching the train for Sirius Black."

"If it was looking for Sirius Black, then why did it attack Harry?" Shaye questioned.

Lupin, however, didn't answer that question. "If you'll excuse me, I need to have a little word with the driver." he set the remaining chocolate bar down beside Harry. "Eat. You'll feel better."

Harry finally took a small bite of the chocolate. He chewed thoughtfully and Shaye could practically see the cogs in his head turning. "What happened to me?" he asked.

"Well, you sort of went rigid," Ron said. "We thought maybe you were having a fit or something."

Harry nodded subtly. "And did either of you . . . you know . . . pass out?"

"No." Shaye shook her head. 

"I felt weird, though." Ron's face fell when he recalled the feeling. "Like I'd never be cheerful again."

Harry was silent for a few beats. "But someone was screaming. A woman."

"No one was screaming, Harry," Hermione told him. 

Unsure if what he had heard had simply been a figment of his imagination or something only he had been able to hear—like with the basilisk—Harry swallowed hard and turned his attention to the window. Raindrops pelted the glass forcefully and the strong wind blew them along the surface. He stared at his reflection for a while.

By the time the train had reached Hogwarts Station, the rain still hadn't let up at all. Thankfully, the covered carriages that pulled themselves offered shelter from the elements for the students all the way up to the school. 

Thunder cracked in the distance, echoing through the dark, cloudy night sky. A sliver of the moon was peeking through some of the dark, ominous clouds, but just enough to cast a blue-ish green hue in the sky and onto the Black Lake.

Of course, Hogwarts shone brightly in the distance like always; its warm glow inviting the students in like it had done many years before and would continue to do many years from now. The school choir sang beautifully and the band played excellently as the students filed into the Great Hall, and after the first years had been sorted into their houses, the start-of-year feast began.

But not before a few words from the headmaster himself.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore stepped up to the golden owl podium at the front of the Hall. "Now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor RJ Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck, professor."

As the man from the train rose from his seat at the teacher's table, the Hall broke out into a brief round of applause for him. 

"Of course. That's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry," Hermione said. Harry smiled weakly.

"Potter," Draco whispered from the Slytherin table. Harry didn't hear him at first, so he tried again. "Potter!"

Harry turned around. 

"Is it true you fainted?" Draco smirked. "I mean, you actually fainted?"

"Shove off, Malfoy." Ron quipped before turning Harry back around. 

Harry sighed. "How did he find out?"

"Just forget it," Shaye told him. "He's not worth it."

The group of four then turned their attention back to Dumbledore's speech.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs," Dumbledore announced. "Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid."

Another round of applause broke out as Hagrid clumsily stood from his chair, bumping the table with his gut and knocking over his own goblet, as well as McGonagall's and Flitwick's.

Shaye smiled wide and gave a hearty cheer. She had already known that Care of Magical Creatures was going to be her favourite class by far in third-year, because of what her dad did for a living and all, but now it was being taught by one of her favourite people at Hogwarts. 

Despite the incident on the train, things were looking up.

"Finally, on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic . . . Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of Azkaban until such a time as Sirius Black is captured." Dumbledore added and students immediately began to murmur among themselves. "The dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving. 

"But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times." Dumbledore waved his hand over the candles that lit his podium and the flame went out. "If one only remembers to turn on the light." he waved his hand again and the flame returned. 

The tables then filled to the brim with food and the students, hungry after their daunting journey on the train, piled their plates high and ate until their stomachs were full and their eyelids were heavy.

Shaye was more than ready to head to bed by the time the feast had ended and the students began to make their way to their respected house common rooms. With Harry, Ron and Hermione by her side, she followed the crowd of Gryffindors through the castle, up a few flights of steps and toward the portrait of the fat lady.

"Fortuna Major." Seamus pushed his way through the pack and spoke the password.

The Fat Lady, however, didn't open the passage. Instead, she was singing and trying to break a champaign glass with her voice. 

"Fortuna Major." Harry tried again.

"No, no, no." the Fat Lady pleaded. "Wait, wait. Watch this." She then began to screech so loudly and horribly that the people in the paintings adjacent to hers abandoned their posts to get away from the insufferable racket. 

Eventually, the Fat Lady had to resort to smashing the glass on the wall behind herself. "Amazing." she gasped. "Just with my voice."

"Fortuna Major!" Shaye shouted and stepped out from behind Harry and a few of the other boys that were taller than she was. "Your singing is lovely but I really want to go to bed."

"Yes, all right. Go in." she finally caved and the painting swung open, revealing the entrance to the common room.

While Harry, Ron, Seamus, Neville and Dean ventured up to the boys' dormitory to catch up and hang out for a while, Shaye and Hermione headed to their own dormitory and began to put their things away.

"So what classes are you thinking of needing some tutoring in?" Hermione asked as she put a stack of textbooks into her trunk. 

Shaye thought for a moment. "Well, I'm quite good at Transfiguration, so I should be okay on my own for that class. And I'm not sure about Care of Magical Creatures and Divination yet. A safe bet would probably be to start with Charms, Potions and Herbology and go from there."

"Divination." Hermione rolled her eyes. "It makes no sense, not like the other class do. There's no logic behind it."

"Then why did you take it?" Shaye laughed. "You know it's not mandatory, right? It's an elective."

"I'm not one to shy away from a challenge," Hermione said. "Plus, you, Harry and Ron are taking it. I like all four of us being in the same class together."

"That's a fair point." Shaye tucked the remainder of her belongings away and crawled into her bed. "But either way, thanks for helping me out. I'll just need the extra boost for this year so my parents don't catch on."

"That's what friends are for. It also means we can spend more time together." Hermione smiled. "Besides, who else would do it? Fred and George?"

Shaye snickered. "Oh, don't get me started on that."

"Why did they even offer in the first place?"

"Oh, it definitely wasn't a real offer. Not that I would take it if it were." Shaye rolled her eyes. "They were just trying to get a reaction out of me like they always are with everyone."

Hermione flashed a wicked grin. "Or maybe they like you."

Shaye let out a booming laugh. "Yeah, right!" she exclaimed. "Besides, it wouldn't be both of them. It would be one or the other. They are their own people, you know . . . it's just hiding behind all of their shared qualities that make them so very unlikeable."

"Oh, come on. They're not that bad."

Shaye placed her hands on her hips and scowled. "Last year, when the whole school thought that Harry and I spent our free time petrifying muggle-borns, they started a rumour that I had opened the Chamber of Secrets so that I could join You-Know-Who along with my sister."

"How do you know it was them that started the rumour?"

"They told me."

"Okay, fair enough." Hermione shrugged. "But I still think one of them likes you. Maybe Fred? Not that I can tell them apart anyway."

"You can think whatever you want," Shaye said as she lied down and pulled the covers over herself. "Even geniuses have to be wrong sometimes."

Hermione smirked. "It's a good thing I have you to balance Harry and Ron out. I don't know what I would do if it were just the three of us."

"Probably rip your hair out." Shaye exhaled softly.

"This is why I'm glad you're my friend."

Something clicked in Shaye's mind and she shot up and out of bed. "That's it! Friends!" she blurted out. "Friends are like a found family. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb and all that."

Hermione looked utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"What Dumbledore said about the truth not being within ourselves but those we hold dearest," Shaye explained. "All this time I thought that I was the one Lorelei held closest because we were sisters. I thought the truth was inside of myself but it's not! It's inside Lorelei's best friend. It's inside Hattie Carter!"

"So we should talk to Hattie Carter," Hermione concluded. "Wherever she is."

"Yes." Shaye agreed as a stark realization washed over her. She used to believe that she and Lorelei held a special bond . . . but maybe it wasn't as special as she thought. 

Shaye had always known that Lorelei had kept secrets from her, but she assumed she kept those secrets from everybody. What if she didn't? What if Lorelei trusted Hattie more than she trusted her own sister? 

What if Hattie knew more about Shaye's own sister than Shaye did?


	32. Danger in Your Path

"Welcome, my children." Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, welcomed the class of third-year students. "In this room, you shall explore the noble art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess the Sight. Hello. I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. This term, we'll be focusing on Tasseomancy, which is the art of reading tea leaves. So please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you. What do you see?"

Shaye looked across from herself and sighed at the empty seat. It was very unlike Hermione to be late, even if it was for a class that she had shown a clear distaste for. So instead, Shaye took the moment to look around the room.

The Divination classroom was only accessible by climbing a very high, very steep flight of steps. The room was decorated with red tapestries and other unique knick-knacks that probably had some special meaning or something. The tables, which sat on varied levels of different heights, were covered in red tablecloths. To say the least, the subject and its classroom seemed to be very different than the other classes offered at Hogwarts . . . as was its teacher.

Professor Trelawney was what the muggles might call a modern-day hippie. She wore loose, baggy clothing, an abundance of jewellery that clacked together on her wrist and around her neck and a pair of large, thick glasses that magnified her eyes so much that they seemed to almost pop out of her head. To top everything off, her blonde, curly hair had been brushed, which made it poof out wildly all over the place.

Having no one to trade cups with, Shaye turned to the table next to hers and watched Harry and Ron complete the task. They, like the rest of the class, seemed very amused by Trelawney's quirky personality.

"The truth lies buries like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read," Trelawney said as she made her way around the room. "But first, you must broaden your minds. First, you must look beyond."

"Oh, what a load of rubbish." Hermione scoffed.

Shaye turned around quickly and much to her surprise, saw Hermione sitting in the seat opposite her. Shaye looked from Hermione to the classroom door. How had she gotten in without her seeing? Where did she come from?

"Where did you come from?" Ron asked what Shaye had been thinking.

"Me?" Hermione seemed to be tucking something underneath the collar of her shirt. "I've been here all this time."

Shaye furrowed her brows. Maybe Hermione had been sitting at a table farther back and moved up during Trelawney's speech. That had to be it because there was no way she had trudged up the stairs and crossed the classroom without anyone seeing her.

"You, boy." Trelawney pointed at Neville. "Is your grandmother quite well?"

Neville thought for a moment. Everyone knew that Neville lived with his grandmother and that something had happened to his parents when he was younger, but the details were fuzzy. Neville rarely ever spoke of it.

"I-I think so." Neville stuttered. 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Give me the cup." Trelawney took Neville's cup and peered inside. She made a few concerning sounds before placing the cup back down and moving on. "Pity," she muttered and Neville immediately grabbed the cup with a worried expression on his face.

"Broaden your minds." Trelawney turned to the rest of the class before stopping in front of Ron. "Your aura is pulsing, dear. Are you in the beyond? I think you are."

Ron's forehead creased with confusion. "Sure," he answered. 

"Look at the cup. Tell me what you see."

Slowly, Ron lifted Harry's cup up from the table and looked at the shape that the tea leaves had made on the bottom. "Yeah. Well . . . Harry's got sort of a wonky cross. That's trials and suffering." he flipped through the Divination book in front of himself. "And that there could be the sun, and that's happiness. So . . ." he looked over at Harry, ". . . you're gonna suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it."

Suddenly, Shaye completely understood why Hermione thought this class was a complete and utter joke.

Trelawney shook her head. "Give me the cup." she took Harry's cup from Ron and looked inside. She immediately let out a scream, set the cup back down and backed away from the table as quickly as she could. "Oh, my dear boy. My dear . . ." she looked at Harry like she was about to tell him that his parents had died all over again, ". . . you have the Grim."

About half of the class gasped and the other half looked around, confused and unsure what the Grim even was or what it meant.

"The Grin?" Seamus asked. "What's the Grin?"

"Not the Grin, you idiot. The Grim." another student corrected before reading from his textbook. "'Taking the form of a giant spectral dog. It's among the darkest omens in our world. It's an omen of death.'"

Shaye nodded. "Yup, that seems about right for Harry."

Thoroughly shaken by what she had seen in Harry's cup, Trelawney dismissed the class early and the students immediately forgot about the death omen in Harry's cup and rushed off to enjoy the extra free time they had just been given.

After gathering her things, Shaye decided to take a quick look in her own cup and see what was inside. At first, the shape was hard to decipher, but after squinting a little and turning the cup a few times, she believed she saw what vaguely resembled a skull.

According to the textbook, the skull meant there was danger in your path. Shaye didn't pay it much mind, however. Like Hermione, she wasn't too sure how much credibility Divination really held.

"You don't think that Grim thing's got anything to do with Sirius Black, do you?" Ron asked as the group of friends descended the stony outdoor stairs toward their Care of Magical Creatures class. He, unlike Shaye and Hermione, had been more swayed by the omen.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly, Ron. If you ask me, Divination is a very woolly discipline. Now, Ancient Runes, that's a fascinating subject."

"Ancient Runes?" Ron questioned. "Exactly how many classes are you taking this term?"

"A fair few."

Ron then stopped in his tracks. "Hang on. That's not possible. Ancient Runes is in the same time as Divination. You have to be in two classes at once."

Shaye nodded. "I never thought I'd ever say this out loud, but Ron's right."

"Don't be silly." Hermione scoffed. "How could anyone be in two classes at once?"

With that, Hermione pushed past the others and took the lead down the steps. Shaye and Ron shared a bewildered look before continuing on.

"Broaden your minds.'" Hermione imitated Professor Trelawney and let out a laugh. "'Use your Inner Eye to see the future!'"

Gathered in front of Hagrid's Hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione pushed to the front of the crowd to show their support for Hagrid's first ever lesson. When the large man stepped out of his hut and spotted the four students at the front of the gathering, he smiled.

"That's it. Come on, now. Come closer." Hagrid motioned for everyone to take a few steps toward him. "Less talking, if you don't mind. I got a real treat for you today. A great lesson. So follow me."

With that, Hagrid led the group of students to a wooden area close to his hut. When Shaye first saw the trees she was worried they were going into the Dark Forest, but Hagrid took them to a different area where the trees were farther apart and the sun shone down brightly. There were no ominous shadows or hidden things moving in the darkness. 

For once, Shaye wasn't scared to be inside of a forest.

"Right, you lot. Less chattering. Form a group over there." Hagrid instructed. "And open your books to page 49."

Draco glared down at his Monster Book of Monsters and eyed the fangs and large, spider-like eyes on it. "Exactly how do we do that?" he asked.

"Stroke the spine, of course," Hagrid said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Goodness me."

Doing exactly what her father had shown her in the past, Shaye ran her hand along the spine of the book and it let out a happy little noise. She was then able to undo the buckle holding the book's pages (and mouth) closed without having her fingers bitten off.

Neville, however, had forgotten the most important step of stroking the spine and when he opened his book, it snapped wildly at his face. A few of the other students chuckled at his expense, but by now, he was used to that.

Hermione looked down at her book and sighed. "I think they're funny."

"Oh, yeah. Terribly funny." Draco had overheard and decided he just needed to say something. "Really witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed like the good, loyal goons that they were.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry retorted.

Draco smirked as a circle of kids formed around the feuding rivals. Slowly, he walked up to Harry . . . but he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked dramatically over Harry's head and his face flushed with fear. "Dementor! Dementor!" he jumped back.

When Harry and the rest of the class turned around in a panic, Draco and his goons began to laugh. There were, of course, no dementors there. They then pulled the hoods of their black robes over their heads and held their hands out while making ghost sounds.

"Very mature," Shaye grumbled as she and Hermione led Harry away from the group of pathetic Slytherin boys.

Clearing his throat loudly, Hagrid waited until everyone had settled down before actually starting the lesson. Then, he turned around, held his arms open wide in a presenting fashion and made one of those announcing trumpet sounds with his mouth.

Standing a few meters away from Hagrid was a creature that Shaye had only seen before in books and heard about in stories from her father. Standing almost as tall as Hagrid, the creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse opened his beak and let out a squawk.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid beamed as he tossed some sort of dead rodent into the air for the creature to catch. "Say hello to Buckbeak."

"Hagrid, exactly what is that?" Ron's eyes were wide as he stared at the creature.

"That, Ron, is a hippogriff," Hagrid answered. "First thing you wanna know about hippogriffs, is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you ever do. Now, who'd like to come and say hello?"

All at once, the class shuffled backward and Neville even ducked behind one of the large stones. When Hagrid turned around to see that no one had volunteered, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. 

Shaye felt sorry for Hagrid, this being his first lesson and all, and even though she was sure she would feel even more sorry if Buckbeak were to rip her in half or something, she fought the instinct in her gut telling her to stay put and stepped forward.

"I'll do it." Shaye volunteered. She could hear her dad's voice in her head telling her how majestic the hippogriffs were while also warning her of the damage he had seen them do in the past.

"Excellent!" Hagrid immediately cheered up. "Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite. So, step up, give him a nice bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him. If not . . . well, we'll get to that later."

Swallowing hard, Shaye turned back to look at Harry, Ron and Hermione. The expressions on their faces were not very encouraging, to say the least, but they ushered her forward just the same.

Slowly, and following Hagrid's instructions to a T, Shaye took a few small steps forwards before bowing nice and low in front of Buckbeak. The hippogriff squawked again and began to flap its wings. Shaye suddenly saw flashes of the skull in her cup from Divination. Was this the danger in her path?

"Back off," Hagrid said but Shaye was already inching back. That's when she stepped on a branch and it snapped beneath her weight.

Shaye could feel the eyes of the class burning holes into her back. Frozen in place, she watched the hippogriff carefully, ready to make a run for it at any moment.

Buckbeak lowered his wings cautiously and eyed Shaye for a moment or two. Then, he took a step closer and bowed back. Shaye released a breath she hadn't even known she had been holding in.

"Well done, Shaye." Hagrid complimented her before tossing another rodent into the hippogriff's mouth. "Here, you big brute, you."

Standing up fully now, Shaye was ready to return to her spot standing with the rest of the class. She had had more than enough excitement for one day. Hagrid, however, had different plans.

"Right. I think you can go and pat him now," Hagrid said with a child-like grin on his face. "Go on. Don't be shy."

Telling herself that she had come this far and it would be a shame to turn back now (and knowing that her dad would be disappointed if she turned down an opportunity to pet a hippogriff), Shaye held her hand out and slowly approached the creature. 

Buckbeak seemed more than a little apprehensive at first, but eventually, he warmed to Shaye's presence and met her halfway. Buckbeak snapped his beak a few times and flinched once or twice but after a while, he let Shaye touch his head and give him a few scratches.

Shaye smiled. Finally, she had found something she was good at that didn't reinforce her relation to her sister, like Transfiguration did. This was something she was good at all by herself.

"Well done!" Hagrid started to clap and the class soon followed. "Well done, Shaye!"

Shaye was just about to begin to back away and return to the rest of the class when Hagrid came up behind her, grabbed her by the waist and picked her up. 

"I think he may let you ride him now." Hagrid plopped Shaye down onto Buckbeak's back. "Put you over here, just behind the wing joint. Don't pull out any of his feathers, because he won't thank you for that."

Shaye's heart began to slam against her ribcage. "What?" she panicked.

One second, Shaye was pleading with her eyes for someone to rescue her and the next, Hagrid had given Buckbeak a sturdy pat on the rump and the hippogriff had reared up. Shaye lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Buckbeak's neck. 

As Buckbeak broke out into a full-on gallop, Shaye tightened her grip as much as she could and was forced to accept the fact that this was going to happen; she was going to ride a hippogriff whether she liked it or not.

Once the trees were far enough apart to accommodate the hippogriff's wingspan, Buckbeak spread his wings and began to flap. The next thing Shaye knew, she was rising higher and higher into the sky and a feeling of pure dread was washing over her. She wasn't worried about being torn to pieces by a hippogriff anymore. No, that had long since passed. Now she was worried about falling to her death from unimaginable heights.

Buckbeak, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life. Completely unbothered by the fact that a terrified student was perched upon his back, he soared high over the tree line and toward the castle. 

Students ran toward windows and pointed up from the courtyard. From where Shaye was, they all looked like ants. Despite the fear, she felt like she was on the top of the world.

Swooping down over the Black Lake, Buckbeak got close enough to the water to dip his talons in. He let out a happy squawk that echoed out over the still water.

That was when Shaye felt brave enough to release her death-grip around Buckbeak's neck. Slowly, she sat up, the wind in her hair and the freeing feeling of flying overwhelming her senses. She had never felt this amazing in all of her life. At that moment, Shaye felt untouchable.

Stretching out her arms to match Buckbeak's wings, Shaye closed her eyes and let every second of the spectacular experience seep into her mind. She never wanted to forget this feeling for as long as she lived.

Right then, soaring over the water without another soul in sight, Shaye felt truly unencumbered by the problems that had plagued her mind since she had started at Hogwarts. No more Lorelei. No more Chamber of Secrets. No more You-Know-Who. No more secrets or mysteries or undiscovered truths. It was just her and Buckbeak and nature . . . and it was brilliant.

Much sooner than Shaye would have liked, Buckbeak pulled up and away from the lake and began to circle back to where he had taken off from. Circling the trees, he dropped lower and lower before finally touching back down on the dirt again. 

Shaye wished the ride never had to end.

The class began to clap as soon as Shaye and Buckbeak returned. "Well done, Shaye." Hagrid grinned. "And well done, Buckbeak."

"That was incredible." Shaye gushed.

Walking over, Hagrid helped Shaye down from Buckbeak's back. "How am I doing me first day?" he asked.

Shaye simply couldn't stop smiling. "Brilliant, professor," she told him.

Too caught up in asking about how he was doing, Hagrid completely missed Malfoy pushing past the other students and marching toward Buckbeak. "You're not dangerous at all, are you?" Draco sneered. "You great ugly brute!"

"Malfoy, no!" Hagrid tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Buckbeak let out a sound of distress and reared up. The class let out a scream as Buckbeak came down hard on Draco, scratching him with his talons and knocking him to the ground. Shaye knew that no matter how rude and obnoxious Draco was, she should never wish pain on him. However, revenge through Buckbeak was, indeed, satisfying.

Draco let out a cry of pain as Hagrid got between the injured student and the offended creature. After tossing what looked like a dead ferret to distract Buckbeak, Hagrid turned his attention to Draco, who was clutching his arm so tightly you would have sworn he had broken every single bone in it.

"It's killed me!" Draco whined. "It's killed me!"

"Calm down," Hagrid told him, unsure what to do. "It's just a scratch."

"Hagrid!" Hermione took control of the situation. "He has to be taken to the hospital."

Hagrid nodded. "I'm the teacher. I'll do it." he scooped Draco into his arms and began to carry him away. "Class dismissed!"

"You're gonna regret this." Draco still managed to be a twat even when he was in what he wanted everyone to believe was the worst pain of his life. "You and your bloody chicken!"

As Shaye watched Hagrid walk off with Draco in his arms, Buckbeak walked over to her and nudged her cheek with his beak. Smiling, Shaye gave his head a few scratches. "Good Buckbeak," she whispered to him. "Good boy."

Turns out, it was Draco's Divination cup that should have shown a skull. But then again, when you're that much of an insufferable twat, danger is always in your path. 


	33. This Funny Fear of Mine

As a group of ghosts on horseback galloped into the Great Hall, whooping and cheering and causing a rather loud ruckus, Shaye wished they were just a tad louder so that she didn't have to hear Draco whining about the scratch on his arm from Buckbeak.

The overly-dramatic kid had spent maybe all of ten minutes in the hospital wing before Madam Pomfrey sent him on his way with a sling and a stern warning not to go messing with magical creatures again. But in true Draco fashion, he was complaining like he had just woken from a year-long coma.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" one of the Slytherin girls asked, batting her eyelashes.

Draco shrugged smugly. "It comes and it goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. If it weren't for Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two and I could've lost my arm. I couldn't possibly do any homework for weeks."

Shaye rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed huff. "If he whines one more time I'm going to march over there and give him something to whine about," she said. "Of all the truly horrific injuries that a hippogriff can inflict, Draco might as well have been spit on. Buckbeak could have torn him in two if he wanted to."

"I mean, listen to the idiot." Ron looked over his shoulder at the Slytherin table. "He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. But at least Hagrid didn't get fired."

"And he shouldn't," Shaye stated. "He did everything he could, barring tying Draco to a tree to keep him in one place. He warned everyone about how dangerous a hippogriff could be. Draco was the one who marched up to it like an airhead."

"Yeah, but I hear Draco's father's furious," Hermione said. "We haven't heard the end of this."

"He's been sighted!" Seamus shouted as he ran into the Hall and slapped a copy of the Daily Prophet down on the Gryffindor table. "He's been sighted!"

Everyone within earshot of Seamus' panic jumped up from their seats and gathered around. 

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Sirius Black!" Seamus pointed to the front page of the paper.

Hermione grabbed the paper and quickly skimmed the article. "Dufftown?" she gasped. "That's not far from here."

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville's voice quivered as he spoke. One mention of Sirius Black and he was shaking like a scared puppy.

"With dementors at every entrance?" one of the other Gryffindors asked.

"Dementors?" Seamus scoffed. "He's already slipped past them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he won't do it again?"

"That's right," the same kid who had educated everyone about the Grim in Divination class said. "Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."

Harry stared down, wide-eyed and pale-faced at the newspaper. If Sirius Black really was coming for him, he was getting closer and closer every day. The statement that Seamus had made didn't make him feel any better, either. He was right. This man had already slipped past the dementors once, making it all too easy to do it again.

The moving picture on the cover of an angry, crazy, screaming Sirius Black was more than terrifying on its own. Combined with the fact that he had been spotted near Hogwarts, everyone was on edge. 

No one was given too much time to worry, however, because minutes after Seamus had burst in with his bout of bad news, the Gryffindors and Slytherins were on their way to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Lupin. 

If there was one class that might make everyone feel a tad better about the prospect of a murderous wizard on the loose though, it would be the one teaching them to defend themselves against such evil forces.

As soon as Shaye walked into the Dark Arts classroom, she noticed that it looked much different than it had any other year. The desks had been pushed to the sides of the classroom, leaving a large empty space in the middle of the room. In said empty space, a single wardrobe stood.

The wardrobe had mirrors on the front that had been scratched and cracked and the wood had been scuffed and chipped. It looked like it was centuries old, which to be fair, it probably was.

Standing in front of the wardrobe with the rest of the class, Shaye watched as it jolted back and forth. Something was inside and it was desperately trying to escape. Shaye jumped a little each time the wardrobe moved, worried that the doors were going to fly open and a terrifying beast would lunge out at the class.

Shaye turned to see if Hermione was as jumpy as she was, but she wasn't there. 

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Lupin observed the confused, scared, indifferent and excited looks on the students' faces. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

"That's a boggart, that is," Dean answered.

Lupin nodded. "Very good, Mr. Thomas. Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?"

Shaye had heard of boggarts before from her father but because of their nature to be nothing but scary, he had told her very little about them. All she knew was that they were a pain to capture when set loose in the wizarding world.

"No one knows." Hermione seemed to appear out of thin air. She looked a little flushed and her hair was tied back into a bun. Shaye couldn't even remember that last time she had seen Hermione with her hair down.

Ron flinched. "When did she get here?" 

"Boggarts are shape-shifters," Hermione said. "They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so-"

"-so terrifying, yes, yes, yes," Lupin confirmed. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practise it now. Without wands, please. After me. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class repeated.

"Very good. A little louder and very clear. Listen. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!"

Lupin smiled. "Very good. Well, so much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain. Neville, will you join me, please?"

Neville's face fell as the cabinet shook once more. He didn't move an inch.

"Come on, don't be shy." Lupine encouraged.

Slowly, Neville pushed his way through the sea of students and stood right in front of Lupin and the wardrobe. 

"Hello." Lupin smiled once more to ease Neville's nerves. "Neville, what frightens you most of all?"

Neville didn't even have to think about his answer. "Professor Snape," he said. The class laughed.

"Professor Snape," Lupin chuckled. "Yes, frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother."

Neville nodded. "Yes, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her, either."

"No, it won't," Lupin assured. "I want you to picture her clothes. Only her clothes, very clearly, in your mind."

"She carries a red handbag . . ."

"We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now, when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do." Lupin walked over to Neville and whispered something into his ear. "Can you do that?"

Neville nodded softly.

"Yes. Wand at the ready." Lupin pulled his own wand from the inside of his cloak. "One, two, three."

On three, Lupin waved his wand and the doorknob on the wardrobe turned and the door slowly creaked open. The class backed up a few steps and watched as Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes trained on Neville. Neville was frozen in place with his hand clamped firmly around his wand.

"Think, Neville, think." Lupin stood directly behind him, supporting him.

As Snape strode across the room toward Neville, Neville gave his wand a wave and shouted, " _Riddikulus!_ "

Instantly, Snape's black robes had been replaced with a green skirt and blazer, red handbag, mink scarf and horrid hat with a stuffed bird on the top of it. Snape's signature sour glare turned to a look of red-hot embarrassment and the class burst into laughter.

"Wonderful, Neville, wonderful! Incredible!" Lupin praised him. "Okay, to the back, Neville. Everyone, form a line. I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most and turn it into something funny. Next! Ron!"

As Lupin put a record on and the room filled with music, Ron stepped up to the beautifully-dressed Professor Snape. 

"Concentrate," Lupin told him. "Face your fear. Be brave!"

With a new target in front of it, the boggart eyed Ron up before changing its appearance to best suit his biggest fear. Unsurprisingly, the boggart shape-shifted into a large black-widow spider. Ron let out a small squeal but reached for his wand nevertheless. 

As the spider stepped closer to Ron, snapping its pincers at him, Ron pointed his wand at the arachnid and cast the spell. " _Riddikulus!_ "

The spider began to slip all over the hardwood floor as all eight, hairy legs gained a set of rollerblades. Shaye couldn't help but smile. 

"Yes!" Lupin laughed. "You see? Very good, very good! Marvellous! Absolutely, very, very enjoyable! Parvati! Next!"

With the room full of laughter and smiles, it didn't take long for everyone to come to the conclusion that this was by far the best Defence Against the Dark Arts class that any of them had ever had. 

When it was finally Shaye's turn, she stepped up to the boggart, which had since transformed from a large, horrifying snake into a clown jack-in-the-box. The clown bobbed back and forth over Shaye, seeping off of her inner fears and discovering what scared her most. Then, it began to twist and turn in the air, slowly shifting into its next object.

Shaye felt her heart jump into her throat at the sight of what stood before her. The boggart had changed into the cloaked figure that had gone after Shaye and Harry in the Dark Forest during their first year at Hogwarts. It had turned into Lord Voldemort.

No one else but Harry, of course, knew what the cloaked figure really was. 

With an encouraging nod from Lupin, Shaye lifted her wand and recited the spell. " _Riddikulus!_ " she shouted and the floating figure turned into a large, colourful bird-shaped kite. Shaye exhaled slowly and stepped back, a small smile spreading across her face at the sight of the kite.

All was fun and games until Harry stepped up for his turn. One second, the room was chuckling at the bird kite that was drifting in the air and the next the boggart had turned into a dementor and the entire room was silent.

Harry's entire body froze, much like it had on the train when he had been faced with the real dementor.

Jumping in front of Harry, Lupin held his arms out wide. The boggart identified its new target's fear and transformed into an image of a cloudy night sky and a full moon. Shaye thought that was an odd thing to be afraid of, but then again, she had heard of tons of people who were superstitious about full moons.

" _Riddikulus!_ " Lupin pointed his wand at the boggart and the moon turned into a white balloon. 

The balloon was losing air fast and flying about the room wildly before Lupin directed it back into the wardrobe and locked the door once more. The wardrobe shook as the boggart tried to escape.

"Right. Sorry about that." Lupin turned to the rest of the class. "That's enough for today. I would like you to collect your books from the back of the class. That's the end of the lesson. Thank you. Sorry, but you can't have too much of a good thing."

The class let out a disappointed groan as they turned to collect their things. Harry, however, was still staring at the wardrobe. 

"At least your fear was rational," Shaye said as she walked up to Harry. "That one boy was scared of bees. I mean, in a world full of dark wizards and basilisk, he's most scared of bees? What does that say about his mental state?"

A hint of a smile graced Harry's lips. "You're almost as good at cheering people up as Fred and George are."

Shaye frowned. "I like to think I'm better than those two clowns. At least I don't have to resort to dumb jokes to make people smile."

"Don't let them hear you call their jokes dumb."

"I doubt it would be the first time they've heard that."

"Still." Harry chuckled. "You might find yourself on the receiving end of their next 'dumb joke.'"

Shaye sighed. "Fair point . . . but still."

With that, the two turned away from the wardrobe and joined the rest of the class as they were filing out of the classroom. Eventually, the Gryffindors and Slytherins parted ways as they branched off toward their respective common rooms.

Once back in the Gryffindor tower, with the red banners hung from the walls and the roaring fire crackling in the background, Shaye found a quiet table in the corner and pulled out her books for her first tutoring session with Hermione.

After the day she had had, the last thing Shaye wanted to do was shove any more knowledge into her brain—especially since she knew it would be the stuff she disliked the most—but it had to be done. Hopefully, with a few extra tutoring sessions here and there, she would be able to pull her grades up just enough to convince her parents that she had been studying all summer long.

As soon as Hermione gathered her things and began walking Shaye through the first potions lesson that she was having trouble with, however, she really began to wish she had chosen a different excuse. 

"I'm never going to get this." Shaye read through a section in her potions textbook for about the fifth time. "Why couldn't Snape have explained it better?"

"Just forget what Snape said and listen to what I'm saying," Hermione explained. 

Shaye groaned. "That's easier said than done. I can just hear his voice in my head every time I so much as _look_ at a cauldron. 'You're doing it wrong, Frazier.' 'Another five points from Gryffindor, Frazier.'"

"You can do it. I believe in you." Hermione let out a small yawn. "I've got to go work on my Herbology essay now. Just keep trying. You're so close. I can feel it."

"Okay," Shaye reluctantly agreed. "Thanks, Hermione."

"No problem. I'll be in our dormitory. Let me know if you need any more help."

Shaye nodded in agreement but deep down she knew there was no way she was going to ask Hermione for a single additional thing that evening. Shaye knew that Hermione didn't mind helping her at all because they were friends, but she could also see the frustration rising in the poor girl. When everything came so naturally, it was hard to grasp when other people couldn't understand. It wasn't Hermione's fault; it was just the way she was.

Letting out a frustrated groan, Shaye turned back to her homework and tried her very best to push through her exhaustion and focus. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe she was close to getting it.

"Why the long face?"

Shaye looked up to see one of the Weasley twins standing over the table, peering down at her and her work. It was odd to see one without the other and Shaye wasn't completely positive which twin was standing in front of her. She didn't much care, though.

"I don't have time for . . . this." Shaye gestured to the whole of the Weasley twin. "I'm trying to finish my potions homework."

"Let me see." the twin grabbed the paper out from under Shaye's nose and scanned it. "Ah, third-year potions. I remember it fondly."

Shaye sat back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. "Do you, now?"

"No. Not at all. But you could at least pretend not to be so surprised." he handed the paper back. "You know, the offer still stands. If you need help, that is."

"I need help from someone who actually knows what they're doing. I need to pass."

The twin pulled up a chair opposite Shaye and smirked. "Such a narrow mind." he tsked. "Your problem is that you think someone needs to know what they're doing in order to pass."

"What?"

He smirked. "Do you want my help or not?"

Shaye rolled her eyes before letting out a defeated sigh. What did she have to lose? "You've intrigued me." she sat forward. "Sure. What've you got?"

"Stick with me, kid, and you'll be passing potions with flying colours in no time."

In about thirty minutes' time, the twin had taught Shaye about twenty different cheater spells and sneaky shortcuts to brewing potions. He taught her how to adjust the colour of a mixture for a short period of time so it would pass a visual inspection and how to enchant a cauldron to self-stir so that those potions that needed constant stirring would always turn out perfectly. 

Shaye felt like she had been let in on a whole new world of magic that she had never even known existed. She felt a little guilty about the aspect of cheating at first, but when she thought about all the free time she would have without all the extra studying and the look on Snape's face when she actually got something right, it greatly outweighed the cons. 

"This is . . . incredible." Shaye looked down at the cheat-sheet in front of herself and ran her hands through her hair. "Do you do this kind of stuff for every class?"

The twin nodded. "More or less, yeah. Gives us more time to plan our pranks."

"I don't know what to say. Thank you . . . ugh." Shaye realized that she still didn't know which twin was sitting in front of her. ". . . I'm an awful person for not being able to tell you two apart, aren't I?"

"You would be if our own mother didn't do it on the regular," he said. "Fred's off somewhere with Lee Jordan."

So this was George. Although Shaye had never been able to tell the two apart based on their looks so much, she usually guessed right when the two were side by side and interacting with someone. Fred usually spoke first but George was usually wittier. George also had great timing with comebacks and usually got the last word. 

"How come you're not off with them, then?" Shaye asked as she began to gather her things.

"I was supposed to be . . . but then you looked like you might snap and set this table on fire," George said. "They're probably wondering where I am."

Shaye chuckled. "Well, thank you, George. I really appreciate it. I should pro-"

"So when do you wanna meet next?"

Shaye blinked back in confusion. "Next? I thought this was a one-time thing."

"We've barely scratched the surface of all the brilliant knowledge I have to offer."

Shaye narrowed her eyes as she stood up from her seat, her homework and textbooks in her arms. "And why is it, exactly, that you're suddenly so keen on helping me? What happened to me being a cold-blooded murderer?"

George smiled sheepishly. "Well, that was proven not to be true, now wasn't it?"

"You knew it was _never_ true!"

George thought for a moment. "Can't we just look back at it and laugh?"

"Ha." Shaye deadpanned. "You know what? You do owe me. So yeah, you're gonna teach me all of your little class secrets and then we'll be even."

"I think I can live with that arrangement."

"You don't have a choice." Shaye started for the staircase that led up to the dormitories. "I'll let you know when I'm free next. And not a word of this to anyone! The last thing I need is for everyone to know I'm a cheater . . . or worse, that I'm associating myself with you."

George smirked mischievously. "I love secrets."


	34. A Soul as Dark as His Name

"Now remember, these visits to Hogsmeade village are a privilege," McGonagall told the group of excited third-year students in front of herself. "Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again."

Shaye and Harry stood by, arms folded across their chests and looks of great disappointment on their faces. For separate but equally devastating reasons, neither of them had a signed permission form to attend Hogsmeade with the rest of the class.

For Harry, it was because his uncle flat-out refused to sign the form (most likely because of what had happened over the summer with someone floating out of the house like a balloon). For Shaye, it was completely her own fault; she had forgotten to give her parents the form in the first place. She had no one to blame but herself but it was still a rough blow. All of the third-years had been looking forward to their first visit to the village all year long.

Harry, however, was hopeful that his rough home life might strike a sympathetic string with McGonagall and he approached her, unsigned form in hand. 

"No permission form signed, no visiting the village," McGonagall told Harry. "That's the rule, Potter."

"All those with permission, follow me." Filch waved for the group of kids to walk with him. "Those without, stay put."

Harry tried once more. "But, professor, I thought if you signed it, then I could go."

"I can't," McGonagall said. "Only a parent or a guardian can sign. Since I am neither, it would be inappropriate. I'm sorry, Potter. That's my final word."

Harry turned around and sulked back over to Shaye. He was upset, as was she, but at least they didn't have to stay behind alone.

"Forget about it, guys." Harry looked to Hermione and Ron, who both had signed forms. "See you later."

Reluctantly, and with a few glances back over their shoulders, Hermione and Ron left with the rest of the class. Shaye knew they would have a good time though, so that thought alone lifted her spirits. 

"We could go visit Hagrid," Shaye suggested. "He's always up for a cup of tea and I bet he would welcome a break from all of his lesson planning."

Harry seemed to cheer up a little. "Yeah."

As the two began to cross the wooden bridge that separated the castle from Hagrid's hut and the Dark Forest, a voice called out for Harry. Shaye and Harry turned around to see Lupin jogging to catch up with them.

"Harry, I wonder if I could have a quick word." he requested.

Harry nodded. "Of course, professor."

"I'll meet you at Hagrid's," Shaye said and continued on her way, leaving the two alone to speak privately for a while.

When Shaye arrived at Hagrid's hut, she had only just raised her knuckled to knock before the door swung up and Hagrid ushered the girl inside with a smile on his face. 

"Please, come in." he seemed beyond eager to have a visitor. "Thought you lot would be heading into Hogsmeade today."

"I forgot to get my form signed," Shaye confessed. "Harry's isn't signed either. He should be here soon. Just the two of us though. Ron and Hermione went with everyone else."

Hagrid smiled as he filled his old silver kettle with water and placed it over the roaring fire in his fireplace. "That's okay. More tea for us then."

"Thanks, Hagrid." Shaye took a seat at his table and remembered the time she had watched a baby dragon hatch in the same spot two years earlier. 

"So how come you forgot to get your form signed?" Hagrid asked. "You're usually so on top of things."

"I had so many other things to think about during the summer it just kind of . . . slipped my mind." Shaye shrugged. 

Hagrid chuckled. "Only thirteen. What could you possibly have on your mind?"

"My sister." Shaye felt completely comfortable with opening up to Hagrid. 

"Ah." Hagrid nodded. "Still on about that, are ya?"

"I know everyone thinks it's a lost cause . . . and to be honest, something I think that as well." Shaye sighed. "But no matter how hard I try, I just can't drop it. It's always there, lurking in the back of my mind."

Hagrid flashed a smile and placed a large hand on Shaye's small shoulder. "It's because it's important to you."

"It is." Shaye agreed. "The more dead-ends I find, the more hopeless I feel . . . and it isn't just facing the fact that I might never figure out the truth that's the worst part. It's because all of this digging is bringing up old memories and reminding me just how much I miss my sister. She used to be my best friend."

"Oh, Shaye. Don't give up hope. There's got to be something else you can try."

Shaye was silent for a moment. "The only thing I can think of is to talk to my sister's best friend, Hattie Carter. But I haven't the slightest idea where she is or how to find her. I only met her a few times myself when she would come over to the house."

"I wish I could help you out, but I barely knew your sister at all, let alone any of her friends," Hagrid said as he pulled the whistling kettle off of the fire and grabbed three cups from his cabinet. "I'm sure you will figure something out though. With those friends of yours, seems you four can do anything."

Shaye smiled and took the steaming cup of tea from Hagrid. It was then that Harry arrived and the group of three sat inside the hut, drinking tea and talking. Before long, Shaye and Harry had completely forgotten about Hogsmeade.

A few hours later, when the class was due to return from Hogsmeade, Shaye and Harry said their goodbyes and thank yous to Hagrid. They then set off up the path and back toward the school.

"So what was it that Lupin wanted to talk to you about?" Shaye asked.

"Nothing much," Harry said, and whether he was lying or not, Shaye knew that if there was something truly important, he would tell her. "He said he used to know my parents."

Shaye shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket to protect her fingers from the cold evening air. "Really?"

"Yeah. He didn't go into much detail though."

Just as the duo entered the castle, the group from Hogsmeade was walking in as well, talking loudly about how awesome their trip had been and how they couldn't wait to go back again in the winter. 

Ron and Hermione caught up with Shaye and Harry soon after and the four headed up to the common room, Ron chattering the whole way.

"Honeyduke's Sweetshop is brilliant, but nothing beats Zonko's Joke Shop," Ron said as they stood on the staircase, waiting for it to change to the right platform. "We never did get a chance to go to the shrieking shack, though. You heard that it's the most-"

"-the most haunted building in Britain," Harry finished, having heard it a hundred times before from Ron in anticipation of the Hogsmeade trip. "I know."

As the staircase rounded on the platform that led to the Gryffindor common room, Shaye noticed a crowd of people standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Probably Neville's forgot the password again." Ron scoffed.

"Hey," Neville spoke from the back of the group.

Ron turned around, surprised. "Oh, you're there."

"Let me through, please." Percy began to push his way through the crowd to get to the front. "Excuse me! I'm Head Boy! Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched."

Spotting the twins farther ahead, standing much taller than a lot of the other kids, Shaye called out. "Fred! George!" they both turned around at once. "Any idea what's going on?"

"No idea." Fred shook his head.

George shrugged. "Head Knob over here won't tell us a thing!"

"It's the Fat Lady!" Ginny exclaimed. "She's gone!"

As the crowd thinned and the portrait came into view, Shaye noticed four or five large gashes across the painting. And just as Ginny had said, there was no Fat Lady in sight.

"Serves her right," Ron snickered. "She was a terrible singer."

Hermione huffed. "It's not funny, Ron."

The other paints on the wall soon began to panic. They moved from one canvas to another, trying to get a better look at the commotion and gossip with the other paintings. Before things could get too out of hand, however, Dumbledore had arrived. 

Rushing up the stairs in his silver robes, Dumbledore took one look at the torn, empty painting and knew something was wrong. "Mr. Filch?" Dumbledore turned to the school's caretaker. "Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady."

"There's no need for ghosts, professor." Filch pointed one of his thin, bony fingers across the way at another painting. "The Fat Lady's there."

At once the gathered gaggle of students rushed off toward the other painting, sweeping a very angry Percy along with them.

On the opposite wall, there was a very beautifully done painting of a herd of hippos in the Serengeti. Hiding behind one of the hippos, missing her usual poofy pink dress, was the Fat Lady herself. She looked terrified.

"Dear Lady, who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked.

Slowly, the Fat Lady peeked out from behind the hippo. She was trembling. "Eyes like the devil, he's got." she whimpered. "And a soul as dark as his name. It's him, headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here, somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!"

A collective gasp erupted from the crowd and the Fat Lady returned to her hiding spot behind the large mammal. 

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore ordered. "The rest of you, to the Great Hall!"

Like a migrating herd of elephants, the students descended the stairs and headed toward the Great Hall; sticking together all the way, most too scared to go off on their own.

One by one, every student in the castle was brought into the Great Hall by their house prefects. In the meantime, Dumbledore, Filch and the rest of the staff made sure the castle was as secure as it could possibly be. However, there was only so much good that would do if, as the Fat Lady had said, Sirius Black was already inside the school.

Nevertheless, the front door was practically bolted shut and there were at least five teachers patrolling the Great Hall at all times.

Before long, the Hall had been filled with mats for the children to sleep on for the night and the boys and girls had been separated. The torches were put out, leaving the room dimly lit by the pale blue glow from the moon shining in through the windows, and the enchanted ceiling showed a calming depiction of a galaxy; shooting stars and milky ways slowly soothing the scared students to sleep.

Shaye, however, knew there was no way she was going to get a wink of shut-eye that night, and there was nothing that any solar system could do about that. 

Lying wide awake on the hard and fairly uncomfortable mattress, Shaye stared up at a swirling milky way and let her mind wander. She was just about to close her eyes and at least try to relax a little bit when something landed on her chest.

Looking down, Shaye picked up a small paper airplane that, of course, had been enchanted to fly directly to her because nobody had that good of an aim. She then unfolded the paper plane and read the note scribbled in messy handwriting. 

**Too bad we didn't get to meet up tonight. I was gonna show you some super cool stuff.**

Shaye smirked. There was no indication of who the note had been from, but she didn't need there to be. She knew who had sent it.

Rolling over onto her stomach, Shaye looked across to the boys' side of the Great Hall and sure enough, lying with his chin resting on his hands and a grin on his face, George was looking right back at her. He gave a sly wink.

Shaye rolled her eyes hard enough for George to see from across the Hall before crumpling up the note and stuffing it under her pillow. George laughed.

Shaye then rolled back over, closed her eyes and lied there for the rest of the night; listening to the teachers come and go, the students stir in their sleep and the sound of her own heart rhythmically beating in her chest. 


	35. Thunder and Lightning and Everything Frightening

When Shaye entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and noticed that the desks had been put back into their usual rows, Shaye huffed disappointingly and made her way over to her regular seat. 

Everyone had been having such a blast with Lupin's alternative and hands-on lessons that they could hardly remember a time when Defence Against the Dark Arts wasn't their favourite class. Now, however, with the classroom back to its boring self and a projector sitting at the back of the room, it was looking like the fun might be over.

Hearing the door slam shut, Shaye and the rest of the class looked over their shoulders, surprised to see Snape instead of Professor Lupin. Suddenly, the bland return to the ways of the past made complete sense.

As Snape strode towards the front of the room, he flicked his wand three times, closing the shudders on the three windows and plunging the room into darkness. He then pulled the projector screen down and turned to the class, his usual scowl present.

"Turn to page 394," Snape said. 

There were a few shared looks of confusion, but for the most part, the class did what they were told and pulled their textbooks out of their bags; a textbook they rarely ever used when Lupin was teaching.

"Excuse me, sir." Harry was the first to speak. "Where's Professor Lupin?"

"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter?" Snape retorted. "Suffice it to say that your professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time. Turn to page 394."

As Snape meandered to the back of the room and tapped the projector with his wand, causing the lightbulb to flicker to life, Shaye and Harry looked to each other, the same worried expression on their faces. Was Lupin okay?

Ron, who was clearly already bored with the class for the day, lazily flipped through his book. When Snape saw this, however, he frowned and waved his wand at Ron's book, causing the pages to flip quickly until the desired page had been reached.

Ron jumped a little. "Werewolves?" he read the title of the page.

"But, sir, we've just begun learning about red caps and hinkypunks." Hermione turned in her chair to face Snape; a chair that Shaye could have sworn was empty two seconds ago. "We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks."

"Quiet," Snape ordered. 

"When did she come in?" Ron whispered; this habit of Hermione showing up out of nowhere really starting to freak him out. "Did you see her come in?"

Shaye and Harry shook their heads. Hermione, as usual, ignored Ron's panic and got ready for the lesson. 

"Now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" Snape asked as he returned to the front of the room where the slides were being projected onto the screen. No one except Hermione rose their hand. Shaye thought she _might_ know, but she wasn't confident enough to risk being belittled by Snape. "No one? How disappointing."

"Please, sir." Hermione couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "An Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice. With each full moon, when he transforms, he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend if he crossed his path. Furthermore, the werewolf only responds to the call of its own kind."

Draco let out a howl. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Snape glared at the boy.

Shaye smirked to herself. Her answer had been similar enough to Hermione's to have been considered correct. Now if only she had the unwavering intellectual confidence and seemingly photographic memory as Hermione.

"That is the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger." Snape turned his attention to Hermione, his hands clasped in front of himself. "Are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?"

Hermione hung her head. Shaye gave her a comforting smile.

"He's got a point, you know," Ron whispered.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said. "As an antidote to your ignorance, and on my desk by Monday morning, two rolls of parchment on the werewolf with particular emphasis on recognizing it."

The class let out a collective groan. 

"Sir, it's Quidditch tomorrow," Harry told him.

Snape lunged toward Harry's desk and leaned forward. "Then I suggest you take extra care, Mr. Potter. Loss of limb will not excuse you. Page 394."

As Snape went on to read aloud the definition of a werewolf to the class, Draco sent a bird-shaped note flying over to Harry. Unfolding the note, Harry frowned at the doodle of himself being struck by lightning during the next Quidditch match. Harry glared at Draco. Draco smirked. 

No one at the time knew, however, just how accurate of a threat that had been at the time.

The following day, Shaye found herself standing in the Quidditch stands for yet another Gryffindor game. The one difference was, while she usually enjoyed watching Quidditch, there were about a million other places she would have rather been right then . . . and one of those places was back in class with Professor Snape.

The sky was darkly overcast and rain was coming down in sheets. Gusts of forceful wind were blowing umbrellas out of people's hands and somehow, just as Draco had predicted, it was thundering. Flashes of light illuminated the sky for seconds at a time, giving the audience a brief view of the entire Quidditch pitch and the players before the world went dark again and everyone had to squint to see what was happening.

Shaye had no idea how the players were even staying on their brooms, much less playing the game and scoring.

Despite the horrible weather, however, most of the fans seemed to be enjoying the match just the same. And although Shaye wished she was warm and dry, she cheered Harry on along with Ron and Hermione.

There was one silver lining about playing a Quidditch game in a storm . . . it was about ten times more exciting.

With a flash of lightning, a bolt of electricity struck down toward the earth and hit one of the Gryffindor player's broom. The end of the broom burst into flame and the player hurdled to the ground, screaming all the while.

Pulling her red raincoat hood tighter over her head, Shaye's head whipped back and forth as she tried to locate Harry. Picking him out from the six other scarlet-clad players was tricky even on the clearest and warmest of days, so this task was near impossible with the rain and wind.

Then there was a quick flash of gold past the stands, followed by the Hufflepuff Seeker and then a flash of red, which could only be Harry. The Snitch darted upward and soon, it and the two Seekers disappeared into the clouds. 

Shaye, Hermione and Ron had their necks craned, eyes scanning the sky for any sign of Harry. There was nothing, no movement, and then . . . the Hufflepuff seeker was falling fast. One of the teachers cast a spell to cushion his fall, but whatever had happened, he was already down for the count.

Seconds seemed like hours as Shaye searched the sky for her friend. Then a flash of lightning lit up the sky once more and a crumpled form of red could be seen sinking through the clouds and back toward the pitch; it was Harry and just like the Hufflepuff Seeker, he was falling fast.

" _Aresto momentum!_ " Dumbledore stood from his seat in the teachers' stands and cast a spell to slow Harry's fall. It was similar to the spell that had been cast on the Hufflepuff boy.

Harry slowed to a controlled descent but again, like the Hufflepuff boy, he was already out by the time he had touched the ground. No one knew what had happened to him but he was whisked away to the hospital wing within seconds along with the other Seeker, leaving the remainder of the two teams to finish the game. 

Rushing from the stands and back toward the castle, Shaye, Hermione and Ron went to be with Harry for when he woke up. It was then that they learned what had actually happened to Harry. Unlike the Hufflepuff Seeker, who had been struck by lightning, Harry had once again been attacked by a dementor. Just like he had on the train, he passed out. 

Once the match had ended, Fred and George bustled into the hospital wing, soaking wet and dripping water all over the floor. With them, they were carrying Harry's destroyed broom. Before long, the entirety of both the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff teams were mulling about the hospital wing, visiting other players who had gotten injured.

"He looks a bit peaky, doesn't he?" Ron eyed Harry very carefully.

"Peaky?" Fred scoffed. "What do you expect? He fell over 100 feet."

George nodded. "Let's walk you off the astronomy tower and see what you look like."

"Probably a right sight better than he normally does." Harry groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. 

Everyone smiled and sighed with relief. Apparently, Harry was feeling well enough to start cracking jokes, which was definitely a good sign.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

Harry sighed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Oh, brilliant."

"You gave us a right good scare there, mate," Fred told him. 

Harry groaned. "What happened?"

"Well, you fell off your broom," Ron said. 

Harry rolled his eyes. "Really? I meant the match. Who won?"

Everyone shared a look, unsure if Harry needed any more bad news at the moment. "No one blames you, Harry," Shaye told him. 

Hermione nodded. "The dementors aren't supposed to come inside the grounds. Dumbledore was furious. As soon as he saved you, he sent them straight off. "

"There's something else you should know too, Harry." Ron stepped forward and held out the bundle of broken broom pieces he had been holding. "When you fell, your broom sort of blew into the Whomping Willow, and . . . well . . ."

"You have such a way with words, Ron." Shaye snatched the bundle out of Ron's arms and set it down on the bed. "What Ron is _trying_ to say, Harry . . . is that your broom has been smashed to pieces."

"I was getting there!" Ron furrowed his brows. "You can't be so callous about it. A Quidditch player's broom is like his child!"

Hermione scoffed. "Oh, please. You act as if he lost an arm or something."

Shaye nodded. "It's just a broom."

" _Just a broom?!_ " Ron, Fred and George gasped in unison. At that moment, Ron was the third twin. The Weasley triplets. 

"That wasn't just _any_ broom. That was a Nimbus 2000." George clutched his chest dramatically. "Take it back!"

Shaye chuckled and shook her head. "Get well soon, Harry," she told him before gathering her things and heading out of the hospital wing. 

Her hair still damp and her robes less dry than she would have liked, Shaye wanted nothing more than to change clothes and spend the rest of the day in front of the fire and write her Care of Magical Creatures essay for Hagrid, which was the only essay she had ever been excited to write.

Speaking the password to the painting, which once again housed the Fat Lady, Shaye climbed in through the portrait hole and up to her dormitory where she changed her damp clothes and tied her hair back. With her Monster Book of Monsters textbook in hand, along with some parchment, ink and a quill, Shaye plopped down on the soft couch in front of the fire and got to work.

Before she had even written her introduction, she felt a presence looming behind her. She was pretty sure she knew who it was, so she kept writing. She knew that sooner or later, he would get bored of silently watching and need to say something.

Sure enough, just as Shaye was beginning her first paragraph, George hopped over the back of the couch and sat next to her. He was still wearing his sopping wet Quidditch uniform, clearly unbothered if he got the couch wet or not.

"You are dripping everywhere." Shaye didn't even look up from what she was doing. She was beginning to regret letting George help her because now, he seemed to pop up all the time, usually unexpectedly and almost always unwanted. 

"So?" George leaned forward and peeked at the essay. "Whatcha doing?"

"Dueling an evil scorpion." Shaye snarked back.

George didn't even bat an eye at the remark. "Cool. Need any help?"

"No. This is for Care of Magical Creatures. I'm more than capable of writing an essay for that class all on my own."

A relieved expression washed over George's face. "Oh, thank Merlin. Because I don't know the first thing about . . ." he peeked at her essay once more and skimmed for any keywords, ". . . kelpies. What the heck is a kelpie?"

"A shape-shifting water demon," Shaye said, and when she looked up and noticed George's bewildered expression, elaborated. "Usually has the head of the horse and a tail that looks similar to a mermaid's."

George smiled. "Sounds awesome."

"They drag travellers underwater and eat them."

"Okay . . . so not _that_ awesome."

Shaye chuckled and noticed that the couch's red fabric had turned an even deeper shade of red due to the water it was soaking up from George's clothes. "You seriously need to change," she told him. "What if someone wants to sit there?"

"Well _I'm_ sitting here and I don't mind it."

"I can tell." Shaye went back to writing her essay. George just sat there in silence, watching her work. It was beyond unnerving. Finally, Shaye had to speak again to break the tension. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked.

George shrugged. "Probably."

"Can you go there then?" 

"You know, Frazier, if you don't like me, you can just say so." he stood up, leaving a huge wet spot behind on the couch. "I'm a big boy. I can take it."

Shaye wasn't completely sure if he was joking or not. "It's not that I don't like you . . . it's just that the more you bug me, the closer I'm getting to that point."

"Harsh."

"You tie first-years' shoelaces together and watch them trip in the Great Hall in front of everyone and I'm harsh?"

"That's funny."

Shaye tilted her head. "Is it?"

"Yeah."

"Is it?"

" . . . yeah?"

" _Is it?_ "

George scrunched up his face and marched toward the stairs. "You know what, now I don't like you."

"Good!" Shaye snickered to herself before dipping her quill into her pot of ink and continuing her essay, thankful for some peace and alone time at last.

Shaye knew deep down that George wasn't nearly as bad as she pretended he was, but the more he kept coming around and going out of his way to talk to her, the more she thought back to what Hermione had said at the beginning of the year . . . and the more she worried she was right.

Did one of the Weasley twins really like her? Did George like her? Did she like George? 

No. Shaye decided it would be too weird with Ron being one of her best friends and pushed the thought from her mind. George was just the annoying older brother of her friend and that was it.

That was all he would ever be. 


	36. Home for the Holidays

For the first time since starting at Hogwarts, Shaye was finally heading home for the holidays. She was excited to get to see her family and have a traditional Christmas but it also felt weird not to be staying at the school with her friends. It felt odd to be heading to the Hogwarts Station in the middle of December; almost like the year had ended early and she wouldn't be returning until September. 

No matter how odd the feeling or how much she secretly wanted to stay at school, Shaye didn't have much a choice in the matter. She had told her parents she would be coming home for Christmas and after two years of backing out of her promises, she really didn't have any room for negotiation anymore.

This year, however, both Ron and Hermione were heading back as well, which meant that Harry would be alone for Christmas. The three made sure to say their goodbyes to Harry and wish him well (with the added promises of a friend group gift-exchange when they got back) before leaving. Harry assured his worried friends that he would be fine and saw them off.

On the trip back into London, Shaye bounced some ideas about where to go about looking for Hattie Carter off of Ron and Hermione. They gave her some good ideas to pursue while at home but by then, the mystery of where Shaye's sister had gone off to had sort of dulled in comparison to the other challenges they were constantly up against. Shaye couldn't blame anyone for feeling that way though because if she were being honest with herself, she often felt the same way too. Sometimes she would go days without even thinking about her sister. 

Shaye was worried she might be losing interest . . . but she reasoned with herself by deciding that forgetting hurt a whole lot less than remembering. She knew it was wrong . . . but it was easier.

When the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross Station and let out a loud whistle as it slowed to a stop at platform nine and three-quarters, Shaye looked out the window and spotted her parents among the sea of other parents, waving happily.

Suddenly, all of Shaye's doubts about spending Christmas at home had vanished. Nothing sounded better than a quiet holiday at home with her parents and extended family.

Saying goodbye to Ron and Hermione, Shaye hopped off of the train, grabbed her things and hurried over to her parents. 

"Hello, darling!" Elise pulled her daughter in for a tight hug; this one somehow even tighter than the one she had given when Shaye was leaving for school at the start of the year.

"It's good to have you home." Dorian smiled as he took Shaye's trunk and owl cage from her. "We've missed having you with us for the holidays."

Shaye grinned wide as the family of three pushed through the crowd of reuniting families. "It's good to be home," she said.

After loading her things into the family car and crawling into the backseat, Shaye shared some of the best stories from her first term of third-year with her parents. The one that really got her parents excited—especially her dad—was the story of how she had gotten to ride a hippogriff.

Dorian had been so entranced by the tale that he had nearly missed the turnoff for their street and by the time the three had piled into the house, he was still asking questions. 

"What was it like?" Dorian was full of about a million questions. "They can be quite dangerous, you know. Did this one seem dangerous?"

Shaye was usually annoyed by the tidal wave of questions that she was asked after returning from school, but this time, she was more than happy to answer all of her parents' inquiries. Dorian was, of course, very interested in hearing how Shaye's Care of Magical Creatures class was going, and she took great joy in telling him how the hippogriff had put Lucius Malfoy's son in the hospital wing. Dorian gave a hearty laugh at this. Elise, on the other hand, was more interested in hearing about how Shaye's friends were doing. 

The family of three spent the rest of the evening enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal and chatting by the fire. They smiled and laughed and were the happiest they had been together in a very long time. For a brief moment in time, it was as if it had always been that way . . . as if it had always been just the three of them. 

Sooner than Shaye realized, Christmas had come and gone, and as nice as it was to have the whole extended family together for Christmas dinner—uncle Bert drunkenly singing carols and all—it was nice when the fuss was over and it was just Shaye and her parents in the house again.

It was during that holiday break that Shaye truly realized what it was that she enjoyed so much about Christmas. Sure, the amazing food and cool gifts were great and all, but more than anything she had missed sitting on the couch in her pyjamas, looking out the window at the falling snow (if there was any that year) and having nothing to worry about except which new present she would fiddle with next.

She missed having nothing eating away at the back of her mind, and for that year, for those few days before and after Christmas, she had managed to banish anything and everything that had been keeping her up at night from her mind and just focus on being home. The problems would be waiting for her as soon as she got back to school, so in the meantime, she elected to do things that made her happy.

Shaye spent hours sitting in front of the fire every day with Erwin perched beside her, reading a book that didn't have the slightest thing to do with any of her school classes. She played board games with her parents and watched movies and she honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been more content. 

Everything was happy and warm and cheerful . . . until the day before Shaye was supposed to head back to Hogwarts.

Shaye was sitting in her room, wrapping the presents she had gotten for Harry, Ron and Hermione when she spotted the unsigned Hogsmeade form she had left out on her desk and had once again forgotten about. Knowing that she would most likely forget again, Shaye dropped what she was doing and picked up the form.

"Mum!" Shaye called as she left her room and headed down to the living room. "Dad!"

Elise and Dorian looked up from what they were doing—Dorian reading the paper in his armchair by the fire and Elise sitting on the couch, knitting with a pair of glasses perched upon the brim of her nose. 

"Yes?" Dorian asked.

"I need you to sign this Hogsmeade permission form so I can go on the field trips next term," Shaye said as she sat the form down on the coffee table in front of her father. "I forgot to ask you during the summer."

"Because of all that studying," Elise smirked. "Speaking of that, how are your grades? Any better than last year?"

Shaye thought about the tutoring sessions she was having with Hermione and the secret lessons she was getting from George and nodded. "Yeah, I think so," she answered as she wandered into the kitchen and began to search the drawers for a pen so her father could sign the form. "I feel like it really helped."

"That's good," Elise commented. 

Suddenly, a thought popped into Shaye's mind. It was probably the worst idea she had ever had by far, but the more she tried to convince herself that it would never go well, she realized that she didn't really have any other choice. 

If Shaye ever wanted to find her sister again and prove everyone wrong, as Dumbledore had said, she needed her parents' help. Maybe they knew something she didn't. Maybe they knew where to find Hattie.

All at once, Shaye's problems had found her once again, breaking the bubble of joy she had been encased in for days on end.

"Actually . . . about that." Shaye stood nervously before her parents, the pen clutched tightly in her hand as she squeezed her fist around it. "I didn't spend all summer studying for my classes."

Dorian and Elise shared a slightly concerned look. "Oh?" Dorian set his paper down and Elise removed her glasses. "Then what were you doing up in your room for two months?"

Shaye swallowed hard. This was it. She had already dug herself in too deep; there was no backing out. She had to tell the truth now. 

"I spent all summer trying to find out what happened to Lorelei," Shaye said. "I've actually been trying to find out since my first year. My friends and I . . . we've been working together."

"You were _what_?" a flash of surprise and a hint of anger settled onto Dorian's face.

"Before you get mad, you should know that we've actually made some . . . well, it's neither good nor bad. We've made progress," she spoke fast, trying to fit in as many words as she could before one of her parents cut her off. "I've found maps and letters and . . . wait a minute, I can show you."

With wide eyes and slacked jaws, Dorian and Elise Frazier watched as their daughter darted up to her room and returned seconds later with an unfolded letter and an old parchment with some sort of map drawn on it.

"I found the map at school hidden in what used to be Hattie Carter's old trunk—it's the trunk that I have now. It was from Lorelei. I don't know quite what it is supposed to lead to, but I know it leads to something important. And I found the letter in with Lorelei's school things. That's why I was in her room last year," Shaye explained. "I know it all means something but I've hit a dead end. I think I need to speak to Hattie Carter next but I have no idea where she is. I was wondering maybe you . . ."

Shaye trailed off when she realized that at some point during her rant, her parents had stopped listening and were both staring at her. Elise's mouth was hung open and her hand was clutching her chest. Dorian, on the other hand, had gone completely red. He looked furious.

A thick blanket of tension and silence fell over the living room. For a while, Shaye stood there looking down at her feet, the pen still clutched tightly in her hand. She could feel her parents' eyes on her.

"Shaye," Elise was the first to speak. "Why . . . why didn't you tell us all of this?"

"I'll tell you why she didn't tell us," Dorian answered before Shaye even got the chance to open her mouth. "Because she knew she would be in trouble, the same way she knew she would get into trouble for breaking into Lorelei's room, which is why she did it right before she left for school."

Shaye felt her heart pound against her ribcage. "I didn't mean to hide it from you . . . I just didn't think you wanted me to-"

"-you're damn right we didn't want you to!" Dorian snapped. He was fuming. "How many times have we told you to stop coming up with outlandish theories about what happened to your sister? It doesn't matter why or how she's gone. She. Is. Gone! You need to come to terms with that, Shaye!"

Shaye felt a wave of anger burn red-hot inside of her. "Why can't you just say her name?!" she cried out. "Her name was Lorelei and she was my sister and she was real! She was real and now she's gone and all you do is try to wipe her from everyone's memory like she never even existed! Why don't you care that she's gone? Why did you stop looking for her?!"

"Oh, Shaye." Elise was clearly becoming emotional. Tears were welling in her eyes.

"I stopped looking for her because I know when something is a lost cause!" Dorian rose to his feet, towering over his daughter. "Your sister is gone and she is never coming back, and you and your little group of friends aren't going to change that! My daughter is gone!"

"Dorian!" Elise gasped.

"Don't, Elise." Dorian balled his hands into fists. "You know what, Shaye? Maybe this will teach you to listen to me." Dorian grabbed the Hogsmeade permission form and tossed it into the fire. "While your friends are out having fun, you can sit in that damned school and think about how foolish you've been."

"Dad!" Shaye cried out.

Dorian then grabbed the map and the letter from the table before Shaye could snatch them back. He held them over the fire, the flames singeing the edges just barely. Shaye watched with tears in her eyes for it to happen, for the last of what could possibly lead to Lorelei to be destroyed, but Dorian couldn't do it. Instead, he folded the papers haphazardly, shoved them into his pocket and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

Tears now running down her cheeks, Shaye's bottom lip quivered as she looked to her mother. Elise was at a loss for words. She wanted to speak, to console her daughter, but she couldn't find the words.

Shaye mentally hit herself for being such an idiot. Why did she ever think she could trust her parents enough to tell them? Why hadn't she just ridden out the remaining blissful time she had left at her home and then returned to the school to handle her problems on her own like she had been doing for the last two years?

Shaye didn't know what she was supposed to do now, so she took a page from her own book and returned to her room and closed the door like she had done all summer. She would wait there until it was time to head to the train station in the morning. After that . . . well, she would just have to take it one day at a time. 

Shaye felt empty as she sat on her bed, staring out her window. Years of work gone. No more clues, no more hope . . . no more Lorelei. 

At least there was one small silver lining. She didn't have to work her butt off anymore with tutoring sessions and extra lessons to try and pull her grades up anymore. The jig was up. The truth was out. 

Shaye could go back to how things had been before. Average grades, average problems, an average life. 

Maybe Shaye would be happier if she followed in her father's footsteps and simply pretended like Lorelei had never even existed. It had worked during Christmas break, so who was to say it couldn't work for the rest of her life?


	37. Hogsmeade Village

Standing in the school's clocktower, staring down at the group of students heading out for Hogsmeade, Shaye balled her hands into weak fists and turned away as the large hand of the clock ticked past her face.

Everyone had returned from holiday break a few days ago and as planned, there was another trip into Hogsmeade village . . . a trip that Shaye and Harry, just like last time, wouldn't be going on.

"I'm sorry that your dad didn't sign your paper," Harry said, noticing the dejected expression on Shaye's face. "I'm sorry about the other stuff too. What are you gonna do now?"

Shaye shrugged. "I don't know . . . it feels like the end of the road but I don't want to give up. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

Shaye thought for a moment and pulled her sweater tighter around her body. "Maybe both?"

"Well . . . we can take this time to brainstorm." Harry suggested as he pulled the unsigned Hogsmeade form out of his pocket and scanned the list of businesses on the back. "Who needs Hogsmeade anyway? I mean, Zonko's Joke Shop . . . Honeydukes . . . the Three Broomsticks . . . Carter's Broom Repair? It's all childish and lame anyway."

"Yeah!" Shaye exclaimed. "But . . . if I'm being honest . . . I was looking forward to the joke shop a little."

"Yeah, me too," Harry admitted. "This sucks."

"It does." Shaye agreed as she scanned the list that Harry had just read from. "Wait a minute . . . Carter's Broom Repair?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, not too excited about that one. Probably just some dusty old repair shop for Quidditch brooms."

"It's not the shop that's interesting," Shaye told him. "It's the name. _Carter's_ Broom Repair. Hattie's last name is Carter. What are the chances her family owns that shop?"

Harry pondered for a moment. "I mean, there are probably a lot of people with the last name Carter . . . but I suppose it's all we have to go off of right now."

"My thinking exactly." Shaye grabbed the paper from Harry and stuffed it into her pocket. "We need to get into Hogsmeade . . . but first, we need to get out of Hogwarts."

Harry smiled. "Leave that part to me."

Ten short minutes later, Shaye and Harry were making their way across the snowy courtyard, their bodies hidden by Harry's invisibility cloak. The cloak really had been the very best Christmas gift that Harry could have ever gotten because it had saved the day on more than one occasion.

Watching her feet as she walked, so as not to accidentally trip, Shaye realized that her boots left footprints in the snow. The invisibility cloak was good, but it wasn't _that_ good. All the two of them could do was hope that no one noticed their footprints in the snow and continue on until they were off of school property.

They were making pretty good progress, weaving in and out of students and teachers, but then they came across Fred and George. The twins were building a snowman in the middle of the courtyard, and sure enough, they just so happened to look over at the worst possible time and spot the two sets of footprints appearing in the snow.

Shaye and Harry looked to each other, but no matter which way they tried to go, the twins tracked them. Then, they lunged, Fred grabbing Harry's arm and George grabbing Shaye's.

"Guys, let us go!" Harry struggled to get free.

Fred snickered. "Clever, you two."

"But not clever enough," George added. "Besides, we've got a better way."

"We're trying to get to Hogsmeade," Shaye told them.

"We know. Don't worry. We'll get you there."

"We'll show you a quicker way. If you pipe down."

The twins dragged Shaye and Harry back through the castle and into the quiet, empty stairwell that led up to the clocktower. The twins placed the two smaller third-years upon the wooden steps so all four of them were eye-level with each other.

"Come and join the big boys." Fred and George said in unison and ripped the cloak off.

Shaye and Harry glared at the Weasley twins. The twins just grinned, their matching winter hats and jackets making it even harder to tell them apart than usual.

"What are you doing?" Harry snapped.

Without a word, Fred made sure the coast was clear before pulling out what looked like an old, blank piece of folded parchment and handing it to Harry. 

Shaye and Harry looked down at the paper. There was nothing written on it. "What's this rubbish?" Shaye asked.

Fred scoffed. "'What's this rubbish' she says. That there is the secret to our success."

"It's a wrench giving it to you, believe me." George nodded.

"But we've decided, your needs are greater than ours. George, if you will."

George gave a nod and pulled his wand of out his jacket. Then, he placed his wand upon the blank parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Instantly, red ink appeared on the parchment and the once blank page now had a title and a very detailed sketch of the Hogwarts castle on the front. 

"'Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map.'" Harry read the title aloud. 

"We owe them so much," George said. 

Taking the map from Harry's hands, Shaye gently unfolded it, revealing drawn-out maps of every room on every floor of the castle. But it wasn't just that. The map also had sets of footprints moving around the halls and rooms, and above the footprints, the name of who they belonged to. This map didn't just show where the rooms in the castle were, it showed where the people were as well.

"Hang on." Harry stared at the map. "This is Hogwarts. And that . . . no. Is that really . . .?"

"Dumbledore." Fred nodded.

"In his study." George smiled.

"Pacing. Does that a lot." Fred added.

Shaye watched Albus Dumbledore's footprints move back and forth in his office. "So you mean this map shows . . ."

"Everyone," Fred said.

Shaye narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Everyone?"

"Everyone," George confirmed.

"Where they are." Fred elaborated.

"Every minute."

"Of every day."

Harry grinned. "Brilliant! Where did you get it?"

"Nicked it from Filch's office, of course," Fred answered. "First year."

"Now, listen." George began to explain how Shaye and Harry could use the map to their advantage. "There are seven secret passageways out of the castle. We'd recommend . . ."

". . . this one." the twins pointed in unison at a specific spot on the map. "The One-Eyed Witch passageway."

"It leads you straight to Honeyduke's cellar," George said.

"Be best to hurry." Fred pointed to a pair of footprints on the map. "Filch is heading this way."

Shaye and Harry were just about to take off when George stopped them. "Oh, and don't forget. When you're done, just give it a tap and say, 'Mischief Managed.'" George demonstrated with his wand and the ink disappeared from the parchment. "Otherwise, anyone can read it."

"Thanks, guys." Shaye watched as Harry tucked the map into his sweater. 

As Harry started for the One-Eyed Witch's passageway that the twins had pointed out, Shaye turned to follow him. Before she got more than two steps out of the clocktower, however, George grabbed her arm.

"Hey, I've got something that's gonna make potions class a breeze," George said with that usual mischievous grin on his face. "Come find me after you get back from Hogsmeade and I'll show you."

Shaye smiled softly. "Oh, I don't actually need any more help, but thanks anyway."

"Oh." George's face fell. "Well, you sure you don't wanna see it just in case?"

"That's okay, but I appreciate the offer." Shaye politely declined. "You've been a big help, honestly. Thank you."

With that, Shaye slowly slid her arm out of George's grip and jogged after Harry. 

The invisibility cloak still in Harry's hand, he led the way through the castle, through the newly discovered (by them) passageway and up through the cellar of Honeyduke's shop in Hogsmeade. Carefully, the duo pushed the heavy floor tile out of the way before climbing up into the cellar, which upon first glance, looked more like the potions classroom.

Once the floor tile had been put back into place and all traces of Shaye and Harry having ever been in the lower level were gone, the two threw the cloak back over themselves and climbed up the old wooden staircase into the shop itself.

The bright colours and bustling children on the main floor of the popular candy shop was a stark contrast compared to the dark and deserted cellar. Candy of all kinds lined the walls in jars and boxes and even tin display cans. Only now, upon seeing it for herself, did Shaye understand why Ron had made so much of a fuss about it.

Weaving through the crowds of people, Shaye and Harry passed Neville, Seamus and Dean and exited the shop—not before Harry stole a red lollipop out of Neville's hand, though. Neville watched in awe as his lollipop floated out of the store in mid-air.

"Harry!" Shaye chuckled. Harry just shrugged and laughed.

Shaye was just about to split away from Harry to try and locate the broom repair shop when she noticed Draco and his goons trudging through the snow, the devilish grins on their faces making it obvious that they were up to no good.

Still concealed under the cloak, Shaye and Harry followed the three Slytherin boys out of the village and into the woods, and sure enough, they were up to something. The boys approached Ron and Hermione, who were standing near a barbed-wire fence and looked out at the Shrieking Shack in the distance.

"Well, well. Look who's here." Draco smirked to himself as he marched toward the two Gryffindors. "You two shopping for your new dream home? Bit grand for you, isn't it, Weasle-Bee? Don't your family sleep in one room?"

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy." Ron retorted, but the wavering in his voice did little to convince anyone he was really ready to stand up for himself.

"Oh, not very friendly," Draco said before turning to his two loyal companions. "Boys, I think it's time we teach Weasle-Bee how to respect his superiors."

Hermione laughed and stepped in front of Ron. "Hope you don't mean yourself."

"How dare you talk to me?" Draco snapped. "You filthy little mudblood."

That was when Shaye and Harry couldn't just stand by and watch anymore. Bending down, Harry gathered a pile of snow into his hands before quickly shaping it into a firm ball and tossing it at Draco's head.

Draco jumped when the snowball hit him, but the true fear flashed in his eyes when he turned around and saw that, from what he could see, no one was standing there. 

"Who's there?" Draco called into the woods.

Shaye had to stifle a giggle as she gathered some snow and threw the next ball. Hers hit Draco square in the chest.

Draco stumbled backward, trying to hide behind Crabbe and the other boy, whom Shaye didn't know. While Ron and Hermione stood by, watching with confused but amused expressions, Shaye and Harry continued their attack. Working together under the cloak, they threw snowball after snowball, and when that got old, they snuck up and began pulling hats over eyes, pulling pants around ankles and pushing the goons into the snow. 

Once all three Slytherin boys were on their butts, Shaye and Harry each grabbed one of Draco's legs and took him for a ride through the snow. Draco, of course, screamed the whole way, and when Shaye and Harry finally let him go, he took off running with his goons fast on his heels.

As soon as the three bullies were nothing but retreating backs in the woods, Shaye and Harry snuck up behind Ron and Hermione. Harry flicked the tassels on Ron's hat while Shaye played with Hermione's hair.

Despite the concerned look on Ron's face, Hermione was laughing. "Guys!" Hermione obviously knew it was them.

Finally, Harry pulled the cloak off; he and Shaye laughing just as hard as Hermione.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "That was not funny."

"Sure it was!" Shaye threw an arm around Ron's tense shoulders. 

With that, the group of four headed back into the village. Harry explained how they had gotten into Hogsmeade with the help of Fred and George and their map while Shaye scanned the buildings, searching for the broom repair shop.

"Those weasels!" Ron grimaced. "Never told me about any Marauder's Map."

"But Harry isn't going to keep it. He's going to turn it over to Professor McGonagall." Hermione eyed Harry. "Aren't you?"

Ron scoffed. "Oh, sure. Along with his invisibility cloak."

"Oh, look who it is." Hermione stopped in her tracks and pointed to a woman standing outside of the Three Broomsticks. "Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her."

"That's not true!" Ron denied.

Just then, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, pulled up in front of the pub in his sled. Professor McGonagall and Hagrid were there as well, most likely to get a quick drink of Butterbeer before they had to usher the children back to Hogwarts.

"Rosmerta, my dear." Fudge greeted the pub owner. "I hope business is good."

Rosmerta turned away from the sign she was currently putting up and jabbed her hammer toward Fudge. "It'd be a lot better if the Ministry wasn't sending dementors into my pub every other night," she said.

"We have a killer on the loose." Fudge defended his decisions.

"Sirius Black in Hogsmeade." Rosmerta scoffed. "And what would bring him here?" Fudge inched closer to Rosmerta and whispered something into her ear. "Harry Potter?" she asked a little too loudly. Fudge shushed her immediately.

Before another word was said, Fudge ushered Rosmerta and McGonagall into the pub. Shaye turned to Harry to see what he was thinking, but he was already gone. Harry had disappeared under his cloak once more and followed the three adults inside.

Shaye was about to suggest going after him, but that was when she noticed a small little building squished between two larger ones. The red paint on the outside was faded and if it weren't for the flickering open sign in the window, she would have thought it had been abandoned for years. A small sign hung above the front door, and on that sign, it said **Carter's Broom Repair**. Under that, in smaller lettering, it read **The Finest and Fastest Broom Repair in Hogsmeade**.

"I'll be right back." Shaye barely said goodbye to Ron and Hermione before walking off on her own.

Slowly, Shaye approached the repair shop. The windows were dusty and the old bench that sat outside was almost completely hidden under snow, indicating that it hadn't been sat on in a while. Shaye looked up at the sign and then back down at the door. She was nervous but she just kept reminding herself that the worst thing that could happen was that the owners weren't related or had never even heard of Hattie Carter.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Shaye pushed the door open and jumped a little when a loud bell rang throughout the room. The shop was small and, much like the outside, a little run down. It looked like it hadn't seen a customer in years, but somehow, it was still standing. Broomsticks of all shapes and sizes hung from the walls along with care products such as wax and replacement parts. 

Shaye looked around the shop, but there was no one there and because of the small size of the place, it wasn't like anyone was hiding. Then, the sound of an old door creaking open got Shaye's attention and from behind a stack of boxes in the back hallway, a woman emerged from what was most likely a break or storage room.

"Hello and welcome to Carter's Broom Repair." the woman grabbed a brown work apron from a hook in the hall and put it on. "Finest and fastest broom repair in Hogsmeade. How can I help you today?"

As soon as the woman stepped behind the counter and the front lights illuminated her face, Shaye immediately recognized her. She looked older than she did in the photo in Lorelei's room, but she had the same smooth brown skin, curly black hair and kind eyes. It was Hattie Carter.

"Hi," Shaye greeted, unsure what to say first. "I'm Shaye."

Hattie eyed her carefully. Clearly, she didn't recognize the girl standing before her. "Is there some way I can assist you in your broom care needs today?" she asked as she leaned on the counter. She looked tired . . . or maybe it was just boredom.

"I'm Shaye Frazier," Shaye said and this time, Hattie perked up a little. "Lorelei's sister."

"Shaye," Hattie paused, jogging her own memory. "Yes, of course. You were so much younger the last time I saw you. You . . . um, you must be at Hogwarts now if you're here."

"I'm in my third year." 

Hattie smiled fondly and pushed a black curl behind her ear. "I remember my third year like it was yesterday. I remember one time Lorelei and I . . . nevermind." she trailed off and her smile faded. "Sorry. You probably don't want to hear any of that stuff."

"No, actually, I do," Shaye said. "No one talks about Lorelei anymore. I was hoping you might be the one exception. I'm trying to find her."

"Find her?" Hattie questioned. "I thought everyone stopped looked ages ago."

"They did. I didn't."

Hattie smiled once more. "Good. Someone should."

"I was wondering if there was anything that you could tell me about her." Shaye requested. "I was also hoping you might be able to tell me something about the map you had been hiding for her in your school trunk and who the Lost Wanderer is."

Hattie's face flushed and she straightened up at once. She looked around to check if anyone was listening in, even though it was just the two of them in the shop. "How do you know about that?" she asked.

"I know a lot more than people think I do."

With that, Hattie turned off the flickering sign in the window and locked the front door. She slid her apron off before waving for Shaye to follow her into the back room. The room was even smaller than the front of the shop but it had a small table, two chairs and some storage for personal items. 

"We can talk back here," Hattie said. "Although, I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to give you. When Lorelei first went missing tons of people asked me tons of questions . . . none of my answers ever seemed to help."

"Well, I don't think those people were asking the right questions," Shaye stated before diving into her list of inquiries. 

Shaye asked Hattie about the map that had been stashed in the bottom of her school trunk, and although Hattie barely remembered where the map had led to or what had been written on the back, she did remember hiding it for Lorelei. Shaye wished she had the map on her to jog Hattie's memory but, of course, that was hidden away along with the letter somewhere in her house.

Hattie claimed that she had asked Lorelei about the map but had never gotten a straight answer about where it led to or what was hidden there. She never tried to follow it herself, per Lorelei's request.

When Shaye asked Hattie about the Lost Wanderer, she gave much of the same answer that Hagrid had. Hattie had heard the rumours but otherwise had no idea why a letter like that ever would have been stashed with Lorelei's things from school. 

"I'm sorry." Hattie sighed. "I really wish I could be of more help."

"It's okay," Shaye told her. "I just thought that if anyone knew anything about where she had gone, it would be you. You two were best friends. I know she cared about you a lot."

A hint of a smile graced Hattie's lips. "I cared about her too. Did she ever tell you how we became such good friends?"

Shaye shook her head. "No."

"On the first day of classes during our first year, I was trying to find my way to potions class in the dungeons and I saw her sitting on the floor in an empty corridor," Hattie explained. "She looked upset and I instantly recognized her from the night before . . . I recognized her because she was the only other person in our year who looked as disappointed with the Sorting Hat's decision as I had. I was the only Carter in generations to be put in any other house besides Slytherin. Lorelei was the only Frazier in generations to be put in any other house besides Gryffindor. It was like we had been swapped at birth . . . forced to live in the wrong families. We were each other's better half . . . I miss her so much."

"Wherever she is, I'm sure she misses you too. And I know she felt the same way," Shaye assured her. "Someone told me that our greatest secrets often lie within those we hold most dear. That's why I wanted to talk to you . . . because she held you most dear."

These words seemed to spark something inside of Hattie; whether it was a memory or the will to admit something she was holding back, Shaye didn't know, but she could tell Hattie had something important to say.

"She was so distant during our final year," Hattie spoke softly. "We came back from summer and she wasn't the same Lorelei I knew. She was different. She didn't talk to me, and when she did, it was to get my help. I wasn't allowed to ask any questions. I was becoming worried about her but when I tried to tell people, no one seemed to believe me. I was all she had and I knew I needed to act . . . I could feel that something bad was going to happen."

Hattie paused for a moment, her fingers clasped together tightly. She seemed nervous, maybe even scared. "I've never told anyone this," she prefaced. "I didn't want it to be true . . . I hoped it wasn't. There was one night, a few days before Lorelei went missing . . . she came to me in a panic. She was talking fast and most of what she said I couldn't make out or I can't remember . . . but there was one thing she told me that I'll never forget. She said to me, 'Hattie, I've messed up. I can't tell you what I've done or what I'm about to do, but just know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm sorry.' Then she handed me a small wrapped object and told me to destroy it as soon as possible. I tried to ask her what she was talking about but she wouldn't answer my questions. I never saw her again after that."

Shaye felt her heart skip a beat. "Did you destroy it? What was the object?"

"I was going to do what she asked of me. I was ready to throw it in the fire and destroy the object . . . but I was too curious and too worried about Lorelei," Hattie answered. "I unwrapped the cloth a little but I couldn't tell what it was that I was looking at. It just looked like a scrap of junk. All I know is that it was metal and had something etched into it . . . the Dark Mark."

Shaye let out an involuntary gasp. "So . . . so she _was_ working with the Death Eaters?"

"Not necessarily," Hattie said. "She wanted me to destroy it. All I know is, working with or against them, Lorelei was somehow connected to the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."

Shaye took a moment to wrap her mind around everything that she was hearing. "Did you destroy the object afterwards?"

"No." Hattie shook her head. "I couldn't. After Lorelei went missing, I believed it might be the only clue that could lead to where she was. I kept it."

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes. Do you want me to get it for you?"

Shaye thought for a moment but decided against that. "No. Whatever it is, important or not, it's probably safer with you. I tried asking my parents for help and it didn't go well. They're too suspicious of me now. I wouldn't want my father to find it."

"Okay."

With her newfound information and the time on the clock hanging from the wall telling her that it was almost time to head back to the school, Shaye said goodbye to Hattie and promised to visit her again the next time she was in Hogsmeade so they could talk some more. Hattie told Shaye that she would help in any way that she could. Shaye thanked her; it felt good to have another person on her side.

Rushing out of the broom repair shop, Shaye started searching for her friends. She had so much information to tell them and she didn't want to forget a single bit of it. After asking around, she found out that a few people had seen Ron and Hermione heading back toward the woods.

Shaye figured that maybe Draco was back to his antics again, but what she saw instead seemed much worse. In the middle of the snowy woods, sitting on a rock, Harry was crying. Hermione was kneeling beside him and Ron was standing nearby.

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked.

"He was their friend . . . and he betrayed them," Harry said, tears welling in his eyes. "He was their friend!"

Shaye cocked a brow. "Who?"

"Sirius Black . . . he knew my parents." Harry sniffled. "I hope he finds me. Because when he does, I'm gonna be ready. When he does, I'm gonna kill him!"


	38. Broaden Your Mind

The snow that once covered the school grounds in a thick layer of white had almost completely melted, leaving behind the dark green and brown tones that would slowly ease into brighter colours as spring quickly approached. 

Since their visit to Hogsmeade, Shaye and Harry had been spending more and more time away from the group. Harry spent most of his free time getting private lessons from Lupin, who was teaching him the Patronus charm so he could defend himself against the dementors. Shaye, on the other hand, spent most of her free time sneaking into Hogsmeade to visit Hattie and writing letters back and forth. 

When Hattie had said she wanted to be involved in Shaye's pursuit of the truth surrounding Lorelei, she hadn't been joking. The two spoke almost daily, one way or another, trying to piece clues together. 

Of course, the mystery didn't become any easier to solve just because one extra mind had been added. If anything, the addition of the weird object with the Dark mark only made things more complex. 

Whether in class, at mealtime or in her dormitory, Shaye was almost always thinking about her sister. It became overwhelming at times, but she felt as if it were her responsibility. As Hattie had said, _someone_ had to look for Lorelei, and Shaye was that someone. 

"Beautiful day," Hermione commented as the group of four friends ventured out of the castle. It was one of the first truly warm days since the snow had melted and Hermione had insisted they all get some fresh air.

"Gorgeous." Ron scoffed. "Unless, of course, you've been ripped to pieces!"

Shaye and Harry shared a confused glance. Clearly, there was something going on that the two of them weren't privy to.

"Ripped to pieces?" Harry asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Ronald has lost his rat," Hermione said. 

"I haven't lost anything!" Ron denied. "Your cat killed him!"

Hermione shook her head. "Rubbish."

Ron then turned to Harry and Hermione turned to Shaye, each of them trying to recruit their friend to their side of the argument.

"Harry, you've seen the way that bloodthirsty beast of hers is always lurking about," Ron said. "And Scabbers is gone."

"Well, maybe you should learn to take better care of your pets!" Hermione retorted. "Even Shaye said you should keep that rat in a cage. Right, Shaye?"

Shaye opened her mouth to say she didn't want to pick sides, but before she could, Ron snapped back.

"Your cat killed him!" Ron insisted.

"Did not."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Why don't we go visit Hagrid?" Shaye suggested, hoping it would derail the argument or at least postpone it until she and Harry weren't around. "Wasn't Buckbeak's hearing supposed to be today?"

With a collective nod from the rest of the group, the four friends set off across the bridge and toward Hagrid's hut. He had been away that morning due to the incident that had occurred with Buckbeak and Draco at the beginning of the year, and thanks to Draco's father, a hearing had been called.

The hut, however, was empty. So, the group tried all of Hagrid's usual spots and eventually, they managed to locate him down by the lake. 

With his dress pants rolled up, his brown, furry jacket blowing in the breeze and his yellow polka-dotted tie standing out like a sore thumb, Hagrid was standing knee-high in the cold water, skipping stones across the lake.

"Hi, Hagrid!" Shaye greeted and the large man turned around. 

Hagrid didn't look happy at all. He didn't even return the greeting.

"How did it go, Hagrid?" Hermione asked. "The hearing?"

Hagrid pulled a large, flat rock from his pocket at turned it over in his equally large hands. "Well, first off, the committee members took turns talking about why we were there. And then I got up and did my piece. Said how Buckbeak was a good hippogriff, always cleaned his feathers. And then Lucius Malfoy got up. Well, you can imagine. He said Buckbeak was a deadly and dangerous creature who would kill you as soon as look at you."

"And then?" Shaye pressed for more information.

"And then he asked for the worst, did old Lucius." Hagrid sighed. 

"They're not sacking you!" Ron jumped to conclusions.

Hagrid shook his head. "No, I'm not sacked." Then there was a pause and Hagrid welled up a little. "Buckbeak's been sentenced to death!"

Shaye felt her heart drop. No one said a word as Hagrid stood in the lake, hung his head and had a good cry. Shaye remembered how excited and proud of Buckbeak Hagrid had been when he had first introduced him to the class, and now because some moronic kid couldn't follow simple instructions, he had to die.

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Shaye told him. "I really liked Buckbeak."

Hagrid wiped his tears. "He really liked you too. I'm glad you got to meet him. All of you."

After spending a little while longer with Hagrid and consoling him after the devastating news of Buckbeak's fate, Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione said goodbye and made their way back up to the castle. It was almost time for dinner and dark clouds were rolling in, most likely bringing a storm with them.

Dinner that night was exceptional like always, not that that Shaye would know. She barely touched her food; much too wrapped up in reading the latest letter that Hattie had sent to pay attention to her plate or the conversations around herself. 

While munching on a plain roll of bread, Shaye read the letter over—which detailed some of the good times that Hattie and Lorelei had had when they were younger. Before she knew it, the Great Hall had been dismissed and the students were heading back to their common rooms for the evening.

Shaye plopped herself down in front of her favourite spot by the fire and immediately began writing out her letter back to Hattie. Usually, Shaye asked questions about her sister; about what she was like at school and who she was as a person when she wasn't at home. Hattie always answered happily. The two had finally found someone to talk about one of their favourite people with. 

They were good for each other.

Slowly, the common room emptied out as everyone headed up to bed. The storm that had been rolling in earlier was in full effect and the rain splattering against the windows gave off a calming ambiance along with the crackling fire.

Shaye could feel her eyelids growing heavier. She hadn't gotten much sleep lately and it was beginning to catch up with her. 

Quickly finishing the letter, Shaye folded it up and set it aside. She would send Erwin off with it tomorrow morning, providing the storm had settled down by then. She was about to curl up for a while and rest her eyes, but before she could, the portrait door swung open and three loud voices followed. 

Peeking over the back of the couch, Shaye wasn't at all surprised to see Fred, George and Lee coming in past curfew with mischievous grins on their faces. Those three were always up to something.

Shaye flashed a small smile and gave a wave. Fred and Lee returned the greeting. George did not. 

George didn't even look over at Shaye. Instead, he marched right past the couch and up the steps to his dormitory. It was very unlike George to be so cold. He didn't even make a joke.

Shaye shot a puzzling look toward Fred and Lee but the two boys just shrugged before following up the stairs and disappearing. 

Shaye had no idea what she had done to upset George. Of course, she always acted a little distant from him, but that was just how they were with each other, right? George was overly eager and goofy and she put up with his antics. What had changed?

With yet another thing weighing her down mentally, Shaye laid down on the soft, red couch and closed her eyes. It was only supposed to be for a little while, but when she opened her eyes again, a few hours had passed, the storm had gotten worse and someone was moving about the common room.

Shaye thought maybe George was coming downstairs. She popped her head up once more, hoping she could talk to him and figure out why he was in such a sour mood, but it wasn't him. Instead, it was Harry.

"Harry," Shaye said, which startled the boy. Obviously, he had thought he was alone.

"Oh, it's you." Harry walked over and sat down on the couch. "What are you doing down here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Harry nodded. "You remember what I told you about what I had heard in the pub in Hogsmeade? About how Sirius Black had been my father's friend?"

"Yes."

"Well, there was another friend too. Peter Pettigrew . . . only, Sirius killed Peter when he joined the Death Eaters."

"Okay . . ." Shaye was unsure where this was going.

"Peter is dead . . . but I just saw him on the Marauder's Map. He was inside the castle."

Shaye's eyes widened. "What? Show me!"

"I can't," Harry said. "I went looking for him and ran into Snape and Lupin. Lupin confiscated the map."

"Fred and George won't be too happy about that," Shaye noted. "That's weird though. Are you sure it was him?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe the map isn't as accurate as Fred and George claim."

"I wouldn't put it past them."

"Yeah." Harry agreed. "Now your turn. What are you doing down here?"

Shaye picked up the folded letter and showed it off. "I was writing to Hattie."

"Still talking to her?"

"She's the only one who knew Lorelei and is still willing to talk about her. It's nice. It helps me forget that she's gone."

Harry smiled. "I get that. If there was someone I could talk to about my parents all the time, I wouldn't ever stop."

"You always understand," Shaye said. "Thanks."

"I understand you and you understand me." Harry nodded. "It's why we're such good friends."

═══════════════

The next morning, after the first good night's sleep that she had gotten in almost a week, Shaye found herself more cheery than normal; and that was saying something since she was currently sitting through one of the weirder Divination classes she had ever taken.

"Broaden your minds." Professor Trelawney instructed the class. "You must look beyond. The art of crystal gazing is in the clearing of the inner eye. Only then can you see."

Shaye stared hard into the blue fog that was circulating within the glass ball, but she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to be seeing or how she was supposed to be seeing it. 

Professor Trelawney was very much of the mindset that Divination was a gift someone was born with and not something that could be taught. This, however, made class with her very frustrating. Either you understood what she was rambling on about or you were bored out of your mind for an entire period.

"Now, what do we have over here." Trelawney made her way over to Harry and Ron's and Shaye and Hermione's tables.

"Do you mind me trying?" Hermione asked. Even though she thought very poorly of Divination, she still tried her hardest to be the best at it.

Trelawney nodded.

"The Grim, possibly," Hermione said. 

Trelawney's face fell and she knelt down in front of Hermione. "My dear, from the first moment you stepped foot in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination." she took Hermione's hand in her own and examined the creases on her palm. "No, you see, there. You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shrivelled as an old maid's . . . your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave."

Grimacing, Hermione ripped her hand out of Trelawney's grasp, pushed the crystal ball off of the table, grabbed her book bag and stormed off. Everyone watched in awe as Hermione Granger actually left a class early.

"Have I said something?" Trelawney asked.

Shaye wasn't sure whether or not she should follow Hermione, but before she got the chance the class had resumed and it was too late. She was stuck there at a table by herself with no crystal ball.

As soon as class was over, Shaye, Harry and Ron rushed out.

"She's gone mental, Hermione has," Ron said. "I mean, not that she wasn't always mental, but now it's out in the open for everyone to see."

"Shut up, Ron." Shaye rolled her eyes. "She's not mental. She's just never not been good at something before. It's new territory for her."

"Hang on." Harry stopped in his tracks on the staircase and bent down, picking up the crystal ball that Hermione had knocked off the table. Apparently, it had rolled all the way out of the classroom and halfway down the flight of steps before stopping. "We better take this back."

Ron shook his head. "I'm not going back."

"I'll go with you, Harry." Shaye offered and the two split up from Ron. Once the ginger boy was out of earshot, Shaye huffed. "Ron and Hermione's constant bickering is really getting on my nerves."

Harry shrugged. "I try to tune out when it's happening."

"It's always happening."

"I'm pretty much always tuned out."

Shaye laughed.

When the two stepped foot back in the Divination classroom, it was completely empty. All the students had left, of course, but Professor Trelawney was also nowhere in sight. The chair she usually sat in was empty but some incense was smoking on the table beside it.

Harry looked around for the professor but after a while just settled on setting the ball down on the table. Shaye turned to leave, but Harry didn't follow. Instead, he was staring into the ball. Whatever he was seeing, Shaye was not.

Then, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped down onto Harry's shoulder. Both Shaye and Harry jumped.

"He will return tonight." Professor Trelawney spoke in a deep, airy voice that was not her own. 

Harry cocked a brow. "Sorry?"

"Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder shall break free," Trelawney said. "Innocent blood shall be spilt and servant and master shall be reunited once more."

Trelawney then suddenly let go of Harry, took a step back and began coughing. "Oh, I'm so sorry." she looked to Shaye and Harry as if she had just seen them for the first time. Her voice was back to normal. "Did you say something?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "Nothing."

As quickly but as calmly as possible, Shaye and Harry walked out of the classroom and back down the long, swirling staircase. Neither one of them spoke about what they had just witnessed. There were too many weird things in their lives already . . . they could benefit from simply ignoring this one and moving on with their lives. 


	39. A Rat of a Man

It was the day of Buckbeak's execution. 

Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione knew that it would be a rough 24 hours for Hagrid, so as soon as they were done with classes for the day, they changed out of their school robes and headed down to Hagrid's hut. They wanted to be there for him and show him support like he had done for them on many occasions previously.

As the group of four exited the school and crossed the courtyard toward the bridge, an eery scraping sound could be heard, which scared off a few crows that had been hanging around. As the students rounded the corner and watched the black birds fly away, they spotted a man in a black cloak sitting on one of the benches. In plain view of anyone and everyone, he was sharpening a large scythe with a stone.

Shaye glared at the man. He was obviously here for Buckbeak's execution. How could somebody be happy in a profession like that? Putting things to death all day every day.

The man looked up at the group passed by, the upper half of his face covered by a black mask with two eyeholes. The parts of his skin that were showing were wrinkled and sagging. He looked just as terrifying as the job he was about to do.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak." Shaye huffed as they crossed the bridge.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "It's just too horrible."

When the four came out the other side of the bridge, they spotted Draco and his goons standing on the grassy ledge, overlooking Hagrid's hut. 

"It just got worse," Ron stated.

"What did I tell you?" Draco turned to his friends; the four of them so caught up in their own little worlds that they hadn't even noticed the four other people standing behind them. "Father said I can keep the hippogriff's head. I think I'll donate it to the Gryffindor's common room. This is going to be rich."

Hermione balled her hands into fists and marched toward Draco. Shaye, Harry and Ron were unsure what she was going to do, but they followed her lead anyway.

"Look who's here." Crabbe turned around and pointed at Hermione.

"Come to see the show?" Draco chirped.

"You!" Hermione snapped at Draco. "You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach."

As Hermione drew her wand and pointed it right at Draco's face, Draco backed up until his back was firmly pressed into a rock. With nowhere to go, all the smugness washed from his face pretty quickly.

"Hermione, no!" Ron tried to stop her. "He's not worth it."

Draco sniffled and cried while Hermione held her wand to his throat. Everyone stood by in silence, waiting to see what would happen. Eventually, Hermione listened to common sense and lowered her wand.

As Hermione turned to walk away, Draco let out a laugh. That was what pushed Hermione over the edge. With her hand balled into a fist once more, she rounded on the blonde twat and punched him square in the nose.

Shaye smirked. While she had agreed with Ron about not using magic, she had no quarrels against Draco getting the punch he had had coming to him since the first year. 

Quicker than any of them could blink, the three Slytherin boys were once again high tailing it away from the group of four. Draco was whining the whole way, but for once, it sounded like music to Shaye's ears.

"That felt good." Hermione smiled.

"Not good, brilliant." Ron corrected. 

Shaye nodded. "If you hadn't have done it, I probably would have. Or someone eventually. He's got a very punchable face."

The group of four broke out into laughter as they descended the uneven, stone steps down to Hagrid's hut. Like usual, smoke was billowing from the chimney, which meant Hagrid was home. Thunder could be heard in the distance as yet another storm seemed to be moving in, so the kids moved quickly, hoping to get in and get out before it started to rain.

In front of the hut, Hagrid had planted a pumpkin patch, which had turned out brilliantly. Among the many large, bright orange pumpkins, Buckbeak laid in the grass, a chain around his neck and a row of dead ferrets close by for him to snack on before his inevitable fate.

As soon as Hagrid let the four students inside, he poured five cups of tea and wandered over to the open window, sighing sadly. "Oh, look at him." Hagrid stared longingly at Buckbeak. "Loves the smell of the trees when the wind blows through them."

"Why don't we just set him free?" Harry asked.

"They'd know it was me, and then Dumbledore would get into trouble," Hagrid said. "He's coming down, you know, Dumbledore. Says he wants to be with me when they . . . when it happens. Great man, Dumbledore. A great man."

As Hagrid turned from the window, one of the many creatures that he kept inside his hut let out a squeal and he quickly tossed it some food to keep it quiet. Shaye had no idea what it was, but it looked like some sort of large worm.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid." Shaye offered. She knew the original plan was to pop in quick and then be on their way, but now that she saw just how brokenhearted Hagrid was about the whole thing, she wanted to stay.

"You'll do no such thing!" Hagrid declined. "Think I want you seeing something like that? No."

Shaye shrugged. "I mean . . . we've seen worse."

"No." Hagrid put his foot down on the matter. "You just drink your tea and be off. Oh, before you do, Ron . . ." Hagrid moved over to a small turquoise tin and pulled a familiar brown rodent out of it.

"Scabbers!" Ron jumped up from his chair. "You're alive!"

Hagrid handed the rat over. "Wanna keep a closer eye on your pets, Ron," he told him.

While Ron enjoyed his happy reunion with Scabbers, Hermione stalked over to the boy. "I think that means you owe someone an apology," she said.

"Right." Ron nodded, and for a split second, it seemed as if he was actually going to do the right thing and admit he was wrong. But, of course, he didn't. "Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know."

"I meant me!" Hermione grumbled.

Shaye and Harry shared an annoyed look and at the same time, they began to tune out. They stared out the window, started to hear less and less of the argument and then . . . something flew through the window and broke a cookie jar filled with sand on the table. Knowing Hagrid, however, it was probably some sort of creature food.

"Blimey!" Hagrid watched as the food spilled out onto the tabletop. "What was that?"

Moving over to the table, Hermione picked up a small stone with a fossilized swirl on the top of it. Just then, another stone flew in through the open window and hit Harry in the back of the head.

Harry winced and rubbed the back of his head. Turning to see who was throwing things outside, he saw instead that Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic and the executioner from the courtyard were making their way down to the hut.

"Hagrid." Harry got the gamekeeper's attention.

"Oh, crikey." Hagrid peered out the window before turning to the four students. "It's late. It's nearly dark. You shouldn't be here. Someone sees you outside the castle this time of night, you'll be in trouble. Big trouble. Particularly you, Harry."

Seconds later, there was a loud knock on the door. "With you in a moment!" Hagrid called as he placed a blanket overtop the questionable worm creature. "Quick!" he then ushered the four out the back door. 

"Hagrid," Harry told him as another knock came to the door. "It'll be fine. It'll be okay."

Hagrid smiled. "Go on!"

With that, the group of four snuck out the other entrance at the same time Hagrid was letting his three new guests into his hut. Moving quickly around the pumpkin patch, the group hid behind a large pile of pumpkins so they could listen in.

"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the hippogriff known as Buckbeak, hereinafter called 'the condemned', shall be executed this day at sundown." Cornelius Fudge said, his voice barely audible through the open window. 

Dumbledore could then faintly be heard consoling an upset Hagrid. While Fudge went on to recite the rest of his required speech, a twig snapped from the woods behind where the group of four were hiding.

Hermione turned and looked into the darkness. Her eyes squinted as she scanned the shadows. 

"What?" Harry asked.

"I thought I just saw . . . nevermind," she said. 

"Let's go!" Ron started up the hill with Scabbers still in his hands. 

Buckbeak let out a squawk as the students sprinted up the grassy hill and toward the stone steps, hoping they wouldn't be caught. They only stopped once they were back up on the grassy ledge where they could overlook the hut without being seen.

From there, they watched as the party of four exited the hut and the executioner approached the pumpkin patch. As the man in black rose his scythe, Shaye knew that Hagrid had been right and she turned away at the last minute. She might not have been able to see what happened, but the sound of the freshly sharpened blade coming down hard through something sent chills up her spine. A murder of crows squawked loudly as they took flight. 

Hermione let out a sob as she wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Harry wrapped an arm around Shaye and held her close. Shaye felt a tear slide down her cheek. The four stood in silence for a while.

Then, suddenly, Ron let out a gasp. "He bit me." Ron dropped Scabbers to the ground and wiped the spot of blood from his finger.

As Scabbers ran away through the grass, Ron turned and chased after him. Shaye, Harry and Hermione called after him, but he was too worried about losing his rat again to listen. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before the four kids were darting through the grass after a scraggly, old brown rat. 

Ron had been so preoccupied with catching his pet that by the time he had managed to scoop the little rodent back into his hands, he hadn't even noticed where he had ended up. He was right in front of the Whomping Willow.

"You do realize what tree this is?" Hermione asked.

Shaye and Harry nodded and swallowed hard. They were all too familiar with the Whomping Willow. Shaye was pretty sure that the spot in her shoulder that occasionally ached was from her run-in with that very tree.

"That's not good," Harry said. "Ron, run!"

Ron looked over at Shaye, Harry and Hermione, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Harry, Shaye, Hermione, run!" he responded with the same thing. "It's the Grim!"

Turning around, the trio were faced with a large black dog standing before them. The dog let out a snarl before charging toward the students. It didn't attack them, however, and instead jumped over them to get to Ron.

Ron screamed out as the dog grabbed him by the leg and began dragging him toward the tree. Ron tried to hold onto the ground with his one free hand (the other one still clutching Scabbers) but it was no use. Before Shaye, Harry or Hermione were able to get to him, the dog had dragged Ron down through a tunnel under one of the Whomping Willow's roots.

Ron's screams echoed through the tunnel before they were cut off completely. Before either one of the remaining group had a chance to go in after their friend, the Whomping Willow had decided it had had enough of their presence and whacked them with one of its branches.

Shaye gasped for breath as she hit the ground hard, the wind having been knocked out of her but thankfully, nothing else more serious. 

By then, the tree was twisting and waving its branches about, ready to fight off anyone who dared come near again. Unfortunately, Shaye, Harry and Hermione had no other choice. Standing back up, the trio rushed the tree, dodging branches left and right. 

They were so close to the tunnel but then, an unexpected branch came out of nowhere, knocking Harry to the ground and causing him to lose his glasses. While Harry searched the ground for his glasses, Shaye and Hermione kept ducking, jumping and dodging. Eventually, however, the tree got the best of them and smacked the two right in the stomach. While Shaye crumpled to the ground, Hermione hung on for dear life and travelled up into the air upon the branch.

Running over, Shaye grabbed Harry's glasses from the grass and handed them over. Able to see again just in time, Harry pushed Shaye out of the way seconds before she was crushed by the very same wooden club that the tree had destroyed the flying car with.

Hermione screamed as she shot up into the air and swung around wildly, hanging on as tight as she could while the tree tried to shake her. 

As Hermione swung back around, Shaye and Harry grabbed onto her sweater tightly and pulled her off of the branch. Then, as quickly as they could, they dove into the tunnel before the tree could attack again.

Falling through the entrance, the trio landed hard in a pile of dirt and toppled onto one another. 

"Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione asked as the trio pushed themselves to their feet again and dusted themselves off.

"I have a hunch," Harry said and began to lead the way. "I just hope I'm wrong."

Following the stone tunnel, it wasn't long before Shaye started to get the creeps. It was dark and cold and damp and worst of all, she had no idea where it ended up.

When light could finally be spotted, the three friends climbed up through a hole and into an old, dusty house. The entire building was so unstable that it constantly creaked in the wind. It was not a welcoming place, to say the least.

"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded before venturing up the staircase, which had a clear trail where the dust had been disturbed, suggesting that Ron had been dragged up to the second floor.

Seconds later, they heard Ron shout and picked up the pace the rest of the way up the steps. Rushing into the room where the screams were coming from, they found Ron sitting on an old cot in the corner. 

"Ron!" Hermione rushed over to him. "You're okay."

"The dog. Where is it?" Shaye asked.

"Harry! It's a trap!" Ron pointed to the other side of the room. "He's the dog, He's an animagus!"

Turning around, Shaye, Harry and Hermione observed the paw prints on the dusty floor. Only, halfway through, they turned into human footprints. At the end of the trail, a man in black and white striped prison clothing and a ratty brown jacket stood there, staring at them. He had shoulder-length black hair and a black beard.

Instantly, Shaye recognized him from the posters. It wasn't just any man. It was Sirius Black.

As Sirius Black started toward the kids, Hermione stepped in front of Harry. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" she told him.

"No. Only one will die tonight." Sirius said.

"Then it'll be you!" Harry pushed past Hermione and lunged at Sirius. 

Harry grabbed Sirius by the throat and wrestled him to the ground, the anger visible in his eyes the entire time. Seething, Harry drew his wand and pointed it right at Sirius' face.

Sirius just laughed, showing off his rotted, yellow teeth. "Are you going to kill me, Harry?"

Before Harry could say a word in response, the door burst open and Lupin rushed into the room. " _Expelliarmus!_ " Lupin cast the spell and Harry's wand shot out of his hand.

Assuming that Lupin was there to save the day, Harry jumped off of Sirius and joined his friends in the corner.

"Well, well, Sirius." Lupin looked down at the escaped convict. "Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."

"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius replied.

Then, most unexpectedly, Lupin smiled and lowered his wand before helping Sirius stand back up again. The two men embraced. Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione watched on in furious bewilderment.

"I found him," Sirius said.

Lupin nodded. "I know."

"It's him."

"I understand."

"Let's kill him!"

"No!" Hermione shouted, her eyes darting toward Lupin. "I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend. He's a werewolf!" Hermione suddenly blurted out; her accusation directed at Lupin. "That's why he's been missing classes."

Lupin stepped away from Sirius. "How long have you known?"

"Since Professor Snape set the essay," Hermione answered.

"Well, well, well, Hermione. You really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met."

"Enough talk, Remus!" Sirius could barely contain himself. "Come on, let's kill him!"

Lupin shook his head. "Wait!"

"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!"

Lupin looked from Sirius to the kids. "Very well." he handed his wand to Sirius. "Kill him. But wait one more minute. Harry has the right to know why."

"I know why." Harry frowned. "You betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead!"

"No, Harry, it wasn't him," Lupin said. "Somebody did betray your parents but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead."

Shaye gasped. "Peter Pettigrew."

"Precisely!" Sirius nodded. "And he's in this room right now! Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out and play!"

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Snape suddenly appeared in the doorway and Lupin's wand shot out of Sirius' hand. "Vengence is sweet," Snape smirked. "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

"Severus . . ." Lupin took a cautious step forward. Snape pointed the wand at him.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle," Snape said. "And now, here's the proof."

Sirius scoffed. "Brilliant, Snape. Once again, you've put your keen and penetrating mind to the task, and as usual, come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Snape glared at Sirius and jabbed him in the throat with his wand. "Give me a reason." he sneered. "I beg you!"

"Severus, don't be a fool." Lupin tried to diffuse the situation.

"He can't help it. It's habit by now," Sirius said.

"Sirius, be quiet," Lupin told him.

"Be quiet yourself, Remus!"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Listen to you two, quarrelling like an old married couple."

"Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?" Sirius spat. 

Snape jabbed his wand harder into Sirius' neck. "I could do it, you know. But why deny the dementors? They're so longing to see you. Do I detect a flicker of fear? Oh, yes. A Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

"Severus, please." Lupin tried to reason with him.

In the meantime, Harry had snuck Hermione's wand out of her pocket. When Snape gestured for everyone to file out of the room, Harry drew the wand on Sirus. " _Expelliarmus!_ " he shouted, switching his target to Snape at the last second.

The burst of blue light from Hermione's wand hit Snape square in the chest and he flew backward onto an old bed. In a cloud of dust, the old bed collapsed under the professor's weight. Snape didn't get back up. 

"Harry!" Ron gasped. "What did you just do?"

"You attacked a teacher." Shaye couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Harry ignored his friends. "Tell me about Peter Pettigrew." he pointed the wand at Sirius.

"He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend." Lupin explained. 

Harry shook his head. "No. Pettigrew's dead. You killed him!" he accused Sirius.

"No, he didn't." Lupin stepped between Harry and Sirius. "I thought so too until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map."

"The map was lying then."

"The map never lies!" Sirius stated. "Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there." Sirius jabbed his dirty finger in Ron's direction. 

Ron's face went pale. "Me? He's mental!"

"Not you!" Sirius groaned. "Your rat!"

Ron looked down at the squeaking brown rat in his hands. "Scabbers has been in my family for-"

"-twelve years?" Sirius asked. Ron nodded sheepishly. "Curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

"So what?"

Realization washed over Harry's face. "All they could find of Pettigrew was his-"

"-finger!" Sirius exclaimed. "The dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat!"

"Show me," Harry demanded, his wand still at the ready.

Reaching down, Sirius snatched Scabbers out of a very reluctant Ron's hands. "Scabbers!" Ron called while Hermione held him back—not that he could do much with his hurt leg anyway. "Leave him alone! Get off him! What are you doing?"

Sirius dropped the rat down onto the top of an old, dirty piano and grabbed one of the wands that had been separated from their owner. As Scabbers darted back and forth, Sirius and Lupin cast spell after spell, desperately trying to hit the scattering rodent.

Eventually, Scabbers leapt off of the piano and started across the floorboards towards a small hole in the wall. As the rat made a jump for it, Sirius gave his wand one last wave and this time, he managed to hit his target.

In mid-air, Scabbers transformed into a large, plump man with large front teeth and a rather rodent-like face. Sirius and Lupin pulled him to his feet, wands aimed at him.

"Remus?" Peter tried to act coy. "Sirius. My old friends!"

The false smile Peter had been sporting quickly faded as he tried to make a run for it, but in human form, he was much too slow. Sirius and Lupin grabbed him and threw him back into the room with ease. 

"Harry! Look at you." Peter turned his attention to Harry next. "You look so much like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends-"

"How dare you speak to Harry?" Sirius pulled Peter away. "How dare you talk about James in front of him?"

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?" Lupin accused.

Peter's face screwed up into an unpleasant expression. "I didn't mean to!" he wailed. "The Dark Lord. You have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius. What would you have done?"

"I would have died!" Sirius snapped. "I would have died rather than betray my friends!"

As Peter made another dash for the exit, Harry stood in the doorway to stop him. 

"Harry!" Peter grabbed him by the shoulders. "James wouldn't have wanted me killed. Your dad . . . your dad would have spared me. He would have shown me mercy."

Once again, Sirius and Lupin dragged Peter back. "Should have realized, Peter, that if Voldemort didn't kill you, then we would!" Sirius yelled "Together!"

"No!" Harry stopped Sirius and Lupin before they could do anything. 

Lupin exhaled slowly. "Harry, this man . . ."

"I know what he is," Harry said. "But we'll take him to the castle."

Peter fell to his knees. "Bless you, boy. Bless you!"

"I said we'd take you to the castle." Harry glared down at the rat of a man before him. "After that, the dementors can have you."


	40. The Full Moon

Helping Hermione get Ron back onto his feet again, Shaye kept a cautious distance away from Sirius and Peter as they filed out of the Shrieking Shack and back through the Whomping Willow tunnel. 

Snape had been left behind, still knocked out on the bed in the shack. Not only would he have been too much for anyone to carry—what with the adults already focusing all of their attention on keeping Peter in check—but it was also a good idea to be as far away from him as possible when he eventually woke up. Knowing Snape, he would be beyond angry and would be looking for the closest possible person to take it out on.

"Sorry about the bite." Sirius apologized to Ron. "I reckon that twinges a bit."

"A bit?" Ron scoffed. "You almost tore my leg off!"

"I was going for the rat." Sirius tried to defend himself. "Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog. In fact, more than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent. The tail, I could live with. But the fleas, they're murder."

Harry smiled at the story. More than likely, because it involved his dad. Shaye recognized that smile . . . it was the same one she had plastered across her face when Hattie was telling a story about Lorelei.

By the time all seven of the group had crawled out of the tunnel and back up to where the Whomping Willow sat dormant, the sun had completely set and the sky was dark. A loon called from somewhere in the Black Lake, but other than that, it was silent and calm outside.

Carefully, Shaye and Hermione set Ron down so he could rest his injured leg a little before they trekked the rest of the way back up to the castle.

During the downtime, Harry took advantage of the opportunity to speak properly with Sirius.

"That looks painful." Hermione looked down at the bite mark on Ron's shin.

"So painful." Ron nodded. "They might chop it."

Hermione smirked. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will fix it in a heartbeat."

"It's too late." Ron joked. "It's ruined. It'll have to be chopped off."

"Well, at least we know your sense of humour is still intact." Shaye rolled her eyes, only half paying attention to Ron and Hermione, despite the rare occurrence of them getting along. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Shaye watched as Harry and Sirius stood side by side, staring up at the castle in the distance. The many windows illuminated with a warm glow and a low fog hanging over the tallest peaks.

Shaye remembered Harry saying something before about Sirius being his godfather. He had mentioned it quickly when retelling what he had heard in the pub, but at the time, he had been so outraged with the belief that Sirius was the reason his parents were dead that he hadn't even bothered to dwell on it. Now, however, Shaye could tell he was really thinking about it. 

The wholesome moment was soon ruined by Peter's blubbering. "Turn me into a flobberworm. Anything but the dementors!" he begged before turning to Ron. "Ron! Haven't I been a good friend, a good pet? You won't let them give me to the dementors, will you? I was your rat!" he then turned to Shaye and Hermione. "Oh, sweet girls. Clever girls. Surely you won't-"

"Get away from them!" Lupin yanked Peter away from the children. 

Then, all of a sudden, Hermione jumped up. "Harry!" she pointed up at the full moon, which was just emerging from behind a mountain in the distance.

Lupin turned to the moon and his face flushed pale. Fear flickered in his eyes. That was when Shaye remembered that he was a werewolf . . . and it was a full moon.

Lupin's eyes turned dark, his jaw slacked and he began to shake.

"Remus, my old friend." Sirius rushed over. "Have you taken your potion tonight?"

Clearly, Lupin had not taken his potion, because he was currently on the brink of transforming. 

Sirius grabbed hold of Lupin tightly to help him stand. "You know the man you truly are, Remus!" he told him. "This heart is where you truly live! This heart! Here! This flesh is only flesh."

Worried about their safety, Shaye, Harry and Hermione pulled Ron up once more, the four of them ready to run at a moment's notice. 

Lupin let out a terrible scream and as his hands began to spasm, he dropped his wand into the grass. Sensing his moment, Peter lunged for the wand and before Harry was able to stop him, he had transformed himself back into a rat.

Peter flashed a sickening grin and waved as he slowly turned back into the brown rodent he had been before. Soon, there was nothing but a pile of clothes and a scurrying rat where Peter had been standing.

By then, Lupin was completely transformed. His body had morphed and ripped out of his clothes and his skin had turned a pale gray. His body was covered in hair and his canine mouth was full of large, sharp teeth. 

Whatever was standing before them was no longer their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Now it was simply a werewolf who, as Hermione had put it so simply before, would kill his best friend if they crossed paths.

"Run!" Sirius turned to the students, and in his moment of distraction, the werewolf pushed him over the grassy ledge. 

Shaye, Harry and Ron started for the castle but Hermione stopped them. "Wait." she turned to the whimpering werewolf. "Professor?" she inched closer. "Professor Lupin?"

The werewolf looked up at Hermione, its piercing yellow eyes almost staring right through her. It whimpered a few times . . . then it licked its chops and let out a howl. 

Hermione retreated back to the others as the werewolf stalked toward them. It was then that Snape emerged from the tunnel, his eyes so trained on the four students that he hadn't even noticed the werewolf.

"There you are, Potter!" Snape grabbed Harry by the front of his sweater. 

The werewolf let out a low growl and as Snape turned to look at it, his eyes widened with fear and he did something Shaye never thought she would ever see him do. Facing the werewolf, Snape gathered the four students behind himself, protecting them.

The werewolf swiped at Snape and he toppled over, taking Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione down with him. As the werewolf got ready to attack once more, a large black dog pounced from out of nowhere and tackled it to the ground.

Now both in some sort of canine form, Sirius and Lupin were battling it out. Snape gathered the kids behind himself once more as Sirius stood guard, acting as a barrier between werewolf Lupin and them.

The two lunged at each other once more, teeth bared and claws out. The werewolf was much larger and stronger, but eventually, Sirius managed to lead him away from Snape and the children.

"Sirius!" Harry called after his godfather as the two dogs sprinted out of sight. Then, before anyone knew it, Harry had broken free of Snape's protective hold and ran after them.

"Come back here, Potter!" Snape shouted, but Harry didn't listen. Soon, he had disappeared around the bend and into the trees as well.

With Harry gone, Snape ushered the rest of the group back up to the castle. Shaye, Ron and Hermione tried to go back for Harry, but Snape wasn't about to let another student out of his sight that evening. 

As the Whomping Willow got smaller and smaller in the distance, Shaye heard a howl echo through the night. 

That was the last thing she heard before Snape had herded her, Ron and Hermione back into the castle and up to the hospital wing, where they remained under Madam Pomfrey's care. In all the fuss, Snape had disappeared, probably to go and find Harry so he could punish him himself.

Ron was immediately treated for his leg injury and Shaye and Hermione were given beds as well, where they were checked over completely and told to rest for the night. Hermione's hand had been bandaged up and Shaye's face had been treated for a few marks left by the Whomping Willow. Madam Pomfrey then gave all three of them something to drink, which she claimed would relax them.

And relax them it did, because no matter how worried Shaye was about Harry and Lupin and Sirius and even Snape a little, her eyelids were drooping in minutes and before long she was out like a light, as were Ron and Hermione.

When Shaye woke again in the morning, she felt more rested than she had in a long while. The sun was shining in through the large windows and the sound of birds chirping outside could be heard. It was a new day but still, the events from the night before were fresh in Shaye's mind.

Sitting up, Shaye was both concerned and relieved when she saw Harry lying in the bed next to her. Hermione was by his side and Ron was watching from his bed across the way, where his leg had been placed in a cast. From the look of the two of them, they had been up for a while already.

Harry, however, was just coming to. He had a few scratches on his face and his glasses had been removed, but otherwise, he had seen worse.

As Harry's eyes fluttered open, he inhaled deeply before speaking. "I saw my dad," he said. 

"What?" Hermione asked. 

"He sent the dementors away." Harry elaborated. "I saw him across the lake."

Shaye blinked a few times, trying to wrap her mind around what was going on. When were there dementors? I must have been after Harry had run off, but what had happened after that? There were so many unanswered questions.

"Listen, Harry, they've captured Sirius," Hermione told him. Apparently the perk of getting up early was getting to have all of the information. "Any minute, the dementors are going to perform the kiss."

Harry jumped out of bed. "You mean they're gonna kill him?"

"No. It's worse. Much worse." Hermione shook her head. "They're going to suck out his soul."

When the hospital wing door's swung open, the students turned to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway. Like usual, it was impossible to tell if he was angry or not. His indifferent expression was something of a talent. 

"Headmaster, you've got to stop them." Hermione pleaded. "They've got the wrong man."

Harry nodded. "It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent."

"It's Scabbers who did it," Ron added.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at Ron. "Scabbers?"

"He's my rat, sir," Ron explained. "He's not really a rat. Well, he was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. But then they gave him an owl-"

"The point is, we know the truth." Shaye cut Ron off before he could say 'rat' one more time. "Please believe us."

Dumbledore gave a curt, understanding nod. "I do. But I'm sorry to say, the word of four 13-year-old wizards will convince few others." He then walked over to Ron. "A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen."

Dumbledore gave Ron's foot a comforting pat and Ron squealed in pain. 

Just then, the clocktower let out a chime, which could be heard faintly in the distance. "Mysterious thing, time," Dumbledore noted. "Powerful, and when meddled with, dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen. And you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it, I think."

As Dumbledore turned and walked out of the hospital wing, Shaye, Harry and Ron looked to Hermione with complete and utter confusion painted on their faces. Hermione, however, seemed to have understood everything Dumbledore had just said.

"Oh, and by the way." Dumbledore stopped himself just before closing the doors. "When in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. Good luck."

And with that, Dumbledore closed the doors behind himself and was gone.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, Ron, but seeing as you can't walk . . ." Hermione pulled a long necklace out from underneath her pink sweater and placed it over Shaye's and Harry's heads as well. 

Confused, Harry reached up to touch the circular object on the necklace but Hermione smacked his hand away. Shaye and Harry shared a bewildered look as Hermione took the object in her hands and turned the innermost circle three times, just as Dumbledore had said. 

The circle then began to spin on its own and with her very own eyes, Shaye watched as time reversed around her. At a faster-than-normal pace, people came and went from the hospital wing, the sun set and then rose again and before she knew it, they were standing in an empty room.

The bed which had once had Ron sitting in it was empty. Shaye and Harry gawked at everything around themselves with wide eyes but Hermione seemed completely unaffected.

"What just happened?" Harry asked as Hermione lifted the necklace back over Shaye's and Harry's head and stuffed it back under her sweater. "Where's Ron?"

"7:30." Hermione looked up at the clock on the wall. "Where were we at 7:30?"

"Going to Hagrid's," Shaye said.

Hermione then grabbed Shaye and Harry by the arms. "Come on. And we can't be seen."

"Hermione, what's going on?" Shaye demanded an answer.

"We've gone back in time," Hermione told her. "This is yesterday."


	41. Turning Back Time

With Hermione leading the way, the trio rushed through the castle, down the clocktower, through the courtyard and across the bridge. If they were to retrace their steps like Dumbledore had told them to, they first needed to go down to Hagrid's hut.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry called after her as they reached the other end of the bridge. "Hermione, will you please tell us what it is we're doing?"

Hermione didn't say a word. Instead, she peered out from the bridge, her eyes trained on a group of kids near the grassy ledge. Only, it wasn't just any group of kids, it was them. Shaye was watching as she, Harry, Ron and Hermione confronted Draco and his goons.

"That's us." Shaye couldn't believe what she was seeing. 

"This is not normal," Harry said, and with that, Hermione pulled him and Shaye back onto the bridge and out of sight of the past versions of themselves.

Sighing heavily, Hermione pulled out the necklace from before. "This is a Time-Turner," she finally explained. "McGonagall gave it to me first term. This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year."

"That's why you kept popping up out of nowhere!" Shaye caught on. "You _were_ taking Divination and Ancient Runes at the same time!"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

Harry, however, was still having some trouble grasping the situation at hand. "You mean we've gone back in time?"

"Yes," Hermione told him. "Dumbledore obviously wanted us to return to this moment. Clearly, something happened he wants us to change."

With that, the three of them peered back around the pillar of the bridge just in time to watch past Hermione punch past Draco in the face. It was just as glorious to witness the second time around. 

"Good punch," Harry commented.

"Thanks." Hermione smiled, but it faded quickly when she realized that Draco and his friends were retreating back toward the bridge where they were standing. "Malfoy's coming."

While Draco, Crabbe and the other Slytherin boy darted back across the bridge, Shaye, Harry and Hermione jumped through one of the openings in the side of the bridge and ducked low to avoid being spotted. 

The three of them waited for their past selves to start heading down to Hagrid's hut before they emerged from their hiding spot. Then, as slowly and carefully as possible, they followed. 

"Look." Harry pointed toward the pumpkin patch in front of Hagrid's hut. "Buckbeak's still alive."

Shaye nodded. "If we succeed, more than one innocent life could be spared." she quoted Dumbledore.

"Of course," Hermione realized. "Let's go."

With their past selves already inside the hut with Hagrid, Shaye, Harry and Hermione rushed down to the pumpkin patch and hid behind the same large pile of pumpkins as before. Hagrid could be heard talking about Buckbeak's execution by the open window, and by the time he had moved away and his voice was too low to be audible anymore, Harry spotted Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge and the executioner coming down the path.

"Here they come." Harry started to stand. "We'd better hurry."

"Not yet." Shaye grabbed his sweater. "Fudge has to see Buckbeak before we steal him, right, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Right. Otherwise, he'll think Hagrid set him free."

Through the open window of the hut, Shaye watched for the second time as Ron was reunited with his rat. A rat she and everyone else now knew was not a rat at all but, in fact, a very large, very horrible man.

"That's Pettigrew," Harry said as he eyed the rodent. 

"Harry, you can't." Hermione stopped him before he did anything stupid. 

"Hermione, that's the man who betrayed my parents. You don't expect me to just sit here."

Hermione stopped Harry again. "Yes, and you must! Harry, you're in Hagrid's hut now. If you just go bursting in, you'll think you've gone mad. Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time. We can't be seen."

Harry nodded understandingly and stayed put, despite how badly he wanted to go after Peter, no matter the consequences. 

"Fudge is coming," Hermione noted before looking back at their previous selves. "And we aren't leaving. Why aren't we leaving?"

That was when Hermione looked down and spotted the rock with the distinguishing spiral detail on the top of it. Suddenly, she remembered the stones that had been mysteriously tossed through the window; only now, they weren't so mysterious.

Picking up the stone, Hermione threw it as hard as she could. The small rock flew through the open window, shattering the cookie jar. Everyone inside the hut turned toward the noise.

"Are you mad?" Harry snapped.

Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she picked up another rock and threw it, this time even harder. The second rock hit past Harry in the back of the head. 

"Ow." Harry instinctively rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt."

"Sorry." Hermione apologized.

Despite the minor pain in the process, the plan had worked. Past Harry turned to see who had thrown the rock at him and in doing so, he spotted Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner. 

"Here we come," Shaye said as the back door to Hagrid's hut swung open and their past selves began sneaking out. "We better get moving or else we're going to be seen."

The three of them rushed into the woods behind the pumpkin patch just in time to avoid being spotted by their past selves. Hidden in the shadows, they ducked behind trees and waited for the coast to be clear again.

"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?" Hermione asked as she looked at herself, accidentally snapping a twig in the process.

Past Hermione turned around at the noise but thankfully, just as before, she didn't see anything. Shaye held her breath anyway, the unknown but dire consequences of being seen by her past self flashing through her mind.

When past Hermione brushed off the sound as nothing and the group of their past selves took off running, Shaye, Harry and Hermione finally emerged from the woods and hid behind the pumpkins once more. 

Now, all they had to do was rescue Buckbeak.

Once Hagrid had invited the headmaster, the Minister of Magic and the executioner into his hut, Shaye jumped into action. Since she was the only one who had gained Buckbeak's trust in the past, no matter how brief it had been, she was the one who was going to have the most luck getting the task done.

Crouched low, Shaye made her way over to the hippogriff. Remembering what Hagrid had taught her previously, she stopped short and gave a bow. Buckbeak blinked at her a few times, but despite the sad expression on his face, he bowed his head in return.

"Good boy," Shaye whispered as she inched closer and unhooked the chain holding Buckbeak in place from the wooden post in the pumpkin patch. "Come on." Shaye gave the chain a gentle tug, but the hippogriff didn't move a muscle. 

When the front door of the hut began to open, Shaye froze in place. But then Dumbledore said something to persuade Fudge and the executioner to come back inside and an extra minute or so was bought in favour of Buckbeak's rescue.

Stepped around the many crows that were hopping about the pumpkin patch, Shaye pulled the chain once more, but still, Buckbeak refused to move and let out a squawk in protest.

"Come on, Buckbeak." Hermione acted fast and grabbed the dead ferrets off of the wooden post in the garden. "Come and get the nice dead ferret."

That got Buckbeak's attention. With an interested cooing sound, almost like a pigeon, he jumped to his feet and started after Hermione. Hermione tossed a ferret into his mouth to keep him happy and once he was following, Shaye led him out of the pumpkin patch and into the woods with the help of Hermione and her ferrets.

As they once again disappeared into the shadows, Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner exited the hut, the timing being almost too close for comfort. 

With a satisfied grin on her face, Shaye watched as they all turned around and noticed that Buckbeak was missing. Fudge ordered that the grounds be searched for the 'beast' but Dumbledore blew him off before heading back inside and requesting a cup of tea or a glass of brandy from Hagrid.

Hagrid, who was over the moon that his beloved creature had escaped his cruel fate, agreed happily. 

The executioner, now with nothing to execute, swung his scythe down hard into one of the large pumpkins and the crows in the patch took to the skies. Shaye sighed in relief when she realized that the sound she had heard before was not Buckbeak's head being chopped off but instead a pumpkin taking the brunt of the executioner's frustration.

"Okay, we should go now," Shaye said and with Harry and Hermione on her heel, she led Buckbeak farther into the woods. 

Hermione continued to bribe the hippogriff with ferrets along the way until eventually, they had ventured far enough.

"Now what?" Harry asked, looking to Hermione for answers.

"We save Sirius," Hermione said matter-of-factly. 

Shaye nodded. "Okay . . . how?"

"No idea." Hermione shrugged.

Grabbing the remaining ferrets from Hermione, Shaye threw them onto the ground to keep Buckbeak occupied and dropped the chain. Hopefully, the hippogriff would stay right where he was and wouldn't go wandering off.

Climbing up a small incline and venturing to the edge of the woods, Hermione pointed out the Whomping Willow in the distance where Lupin could be seen approaching the tree and casting an Immobulus charm on it to keep it from attacking him. Seconds later, Snape arrived as well.

"And now we wait," Harry said. 

Checking over her shoulder every minute or so to make sure Buckbeak hadn't wandered off, Shaye sat in the grass between Harry and Hermione. All three of them had their eyes glued to the Whomping Willow, just waiting for their past selves to emerge so they could follow Sirius and save him.

Hearing a series of squeaks, the trio turned around just in time to see a colony of bats flying through the woods toward them. Buckbeak, who had already wolfed down the remaining ferrets, was now snapping at the bats with his large, sharp beak.

"At least someone's enjoying himself," Hermione commented as the three students ducked to avoid being hit by the bats flying overhead.

Shaye chuckled. "Yeah."

Wrapping his arms around his legs, Harry sighed. "Before, down by the lake, when I was with Sirius . . . I did see someone. That someone made the dementors go away."

"With a Patronus." Hermione nodded. "I heard Snape telling Dumbledore. According to him, only a really powerful wizard could have conjured it."

Harry smiled. "It was my dad. It was my dad who conjured the Patronus."

"But, Harry . . . your dad's-" Shaye started.

"-dead. I know." Harry finished. "I'm just telling you what I saw."

"Here we come." Hermione pointed to the base of the Whomping Willow where their past selves, along with Lupin, Sirius and Peter, were emerging from the tunnel beneath the tree's roots.

Harry watched as his past self moved away from the rest of the group to speak to Sirius. "You see Sirius talking to me there?" Harry asked. Shaye and Hermione nodded. "He's asking me to come and live with him."

"That's great," Hermione told him. 

Harry nodded and a small smile spread across his face. "When we free him, I'll never have to go back to the Dursleys'. It'll just be me and him. We could live in the country . . . someplace you can see the sky. I think he'll like that after all those years in Azkaban."

Harry's fond smile faded when, in the distance, Lupin could be seen beginning his transformation. Sirius was shouting, their past selves were cowering behind Snape and then the two canines were battling it out once more.

"Let's go." Harry started along the edge of the woods, darting through bushes and keeping his eye on Sirius and Lupin the whole time.

Eventually, they came to a clearing where Sirius and Lupin—dog and werewolf—could be seen on a ledge above them. The werewolf was just about to turn on Harry, who had run after his godfather, when Hermione let out a howl; the same howl that Shaye had heard on her way back to the castle earlier.

"What are you doing?" Harry snapped.

"Saving your life," Hermione answered.

Sure enough, the werewolf's ears perked at the sound. Hermione howled once more and the beast turned away from past Harry. 

"Thanks," Harry said as the werewolf bounded through the bushes toward them. "Great. Now he's coming for us."

"Yeah, I didn't think about that." Hermione turned on her heel and sprinted into the woods. "Run!"

Shaye followed her two friends as quickly as her little legs could take her. The three 13-year-olds leapt over roots and rocks and dodged behind tree trunks. At some point, what had once been the woods that looped around to the outskirts of Hagrid's cabin had turned into the Dark Forest. The tree trunks grew thicker and the roots protruding from the dirt grew larger. 

Ducking behind one of the large trees, the werewolf close on their heels, Shaye, Harry and Hermione pressed their back into the bark of the tree and held their breaths. They could hear the werewolf growling behind them and as it moved through the trees searching for them, they maneuvered around the trunk of the tree they were hiding behind in order to stay out of sight.

The werewolf let out another low growl followed by a faint howl. Then everything was silent. Assuming the werewolf had moved on, the three slowly stepped out from behind the tree, their eyes trained on the spot where they had last seen the beast. 

Then a twig snapped from behind them and a low growl sent shivers up their spines. Turning around, the trio were met with the werewolf's glowing eyes staring them down. The werewolf rose up onto its hind legs and got ready to pounce, but before it had the chance, Buckbeak lunged from the shadows and fought him off.

With wings flapping and talons thrashing, Buckbeak managed to scare the werewolf off and the next thing Shaye knew, all she could hear was the distant sound of a whimpering canine.

"That was so scary." Hermione shuddered.

Harry nodded and gave her a hug. "Poor Professor Lupin's having a really tough night."

"Good boy, Buckbeak." Shaye gave the hippogriff a few appreciative pats on the head. 

Just then, a cold gust of wind blew through the Forest. Looking up, Shaye, Harry and Hermione were just able to make out the group of dementors making their way through the sky and over the trees. 

"Sirius." Harry gasped before grabbing Shaye and Hermione by the arms and taking off at a sprint. "Come on!"

Heading in the same direction as the dementors, the trio ran through the Forest until they came upon the lake that Harry had been talking about earlier. On the other side of the water, past Harry and Sirius were lying on the bank, the dementors slowly sucking their souls from their bodies. 

"This is horrible." Hermione could barely stand to watch.

"Don't worry," Harry told her. "My dad will come. He'll conjure the Patronus."

The air around the trio had become so cold by then that the lake before them had frozen over and they could see their breaths fogging up in front of their faces. Seconds passed and Sirius let out groans of pain, but still, nothing was happening.

"Any minute now," Harry said and pointed to the edge of the lake in front of themselves. "Right there. You'll see."

As more and more dementors closed in on the poor victims on the other side of the lake, Shaye and Hermione shared a doubtful look. Harry's story had been hard to believe, at best, when he had told it earlier. Now that he actually expected his father to show up, however, they couldn't just stand by and watch.

"Harry . . . I don't think anyone is coming," Shaye said.

"Don't worry, he will. He will come." Harry watched as Sirius' body writhed in pain, the dementors slowly sucking more and more of his very being out of his body. Bit by bit, his confidence wavered.

"You're dying . . ." Hermione whispered, ". . . both of you."

It was then that Harry realized what he had to do. Drawing his wand, he rushed to the edge of the lake and cast the Patronus charm that Lupin had been teaching him all second term. 

" _Expecto Patronum_!" Harry shouted and the most brilliant, bright white light shot out of the end of his wand. 

One by one, the dementors faded away into nothingness and past Harry and Sirius were saved. Shaye had never seen anything like it before in her entire life. When the last dementor had vanished and Harry had lowered his wand, blood dripping from his nose due to the power he had exuded casting the charm, past Harry collapsed beside Sirius where they would soon be found.

While past Harry was taken to the hospital wing, Sirius was taken to the cell on the top of the Dark Tower. That was where Shaye, Harry and Hermione headed to next and, of course, there was only one logical way to get there.

More than happy to be of service, Buckbeak let the three children climb onto his back. Hermione had been vehemently against the idea since she hated flying, but since she couldn't come up with a better plan, she was forced to suck it up.

"You were right." Harry had to shout to be heard over the wind as Buckbeak swooped down over top of the castle. "It wasn't my dad I saw earlier. It was me! I saw myself conjuring the Patronus before. I knew I could do it this time because . . . well, I had already done it! Does that make sense?"

"No!" Hermione shouted back, her arms wrapped so tight around Shaye's chest that she was nearly squeezing the air out of her lungs. "But I don't like flying!"

Hermione let out a squeal as Buckbeak suddenly dropped down toward the Dark Tower. While she was having the worst time of her life, Shaye and Harry, on the other hand, were having a blast.

By the time Buckbeak had landed, Hermione had only just stopped screaming. Sirius, having heard the commotion outside of his cell, was waiting for the three students when Hermione cast, " _Bombarda!_ " and blew the hinges off of the cell door.

Then, with all four of them squished onto Buckbeak's back, they flew safely down to the courtyard. Sirius, just like Shaye and Harry, enjoyed the ride immensely.

Once all four riders had their feet planted on solid ground again, Buckbeak shook his feathers and let out a happy squawk. 

"I'll be forever grateful for this . . . to all three of you," Sirius said. 

"I want to go with you," Harry told his godfather.

Sirius sighed. "One day, perhaps. For some time, my life will be too unpredictable. And besides . . . you're meant to be here."

"But you're innocent." Harry took a seat on one of the stone benches.

Sirius nodded. "And you know it. And for now, that will do. I expect you're tired of hearing this, but you look so like your father. Except your eyes. You have-"

"-my mother's eyes." Harry had, indeed, heard it many times before. 

"It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and you so little," Sirius said. "But know this. The ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them . . . in here." he pressed his palm over the top of Harry's chest where his heart was.

With that, Sirius stood up to leave. Before he climbed onto Buckbeak, however, Shaye stopped him. "Mr. Black, sir." she looked up at him. "I know this is probably a long shot, but I was wondering if you had ever heard of somebody called the Lost Wanderer?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "I'm afraid all I can tell you are the rumours which I have heard circling Azkaban. There isn't much, but among the Death Eaters locked up in the prison, it is said that whoever the Lost Wanderer is, they shall pay a great price if ever caught by You-Know-Who."

"But the Lost Wanderer isn't in Azkaban?" Shaye asked.

"No." Sirius shook his head. "Probably on the run. Maybe even already dead."

Shaye was quiet for a moment before responding. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." Sirius smiled as he mounted Buckbeak. He then looked down at Hermione. "You really are the brightest witch of your age."

And then, with a squawk from Buckbeak, the two were off, soaring higher and higher into the dark sky until they could no longer be seen. Before long, the only thing visible the sky was the full moon, shining bright and blue down onto the world.

Seconds later, the clock tower began to chime, warning the trio that they had only a minute or so to return to the hospital wing where their adventure had begun. 

Shaye, Harry and Hermione darted back into the school, down corridors and up stairwells. The clock chimed every few seconds, counting down their remaining time.

As the trio reached the hospital wing, Dumbledore was just exiting. Closing the doors behind himself, he turned to the three students and cocked an eyebrow. "Well?" he asked.

"He's free." Harry panted. "We did it."

"Did what?" Dumbledore played dumb. "Goodnight." he waved before descending the staircase.

"What an odd man." Shaye breathed as she pushed the hospital wing doors open just in time to catch the past versions of themselves disappearing in time and returning to the previous day. They had come full circle.

Ron, who was back in bed, looked from the spot where Shaye, Harry and Hermione had been seconds ago to where they were now standing in the doorway. "How did you get there?" he asked, eyes as wide as dinner plates. "I was talking to you there. And now you're there."

Hermione smirked and rolled her eyes. "What's he talking about, guys?"

Shaye and Harry shrugged. "I don't know," they answered in unison.

"Honestly, Ron." Harry shook his head. "How can somebody be in two places at once?"

While Ron looked on in confusion, Shaye, Harry and Hermione broke out into laughter. Buckbeak and Sirius had been saved, they hadn't been seen and now they could enjoy the rewards of their hard work.

And thankfully, they didn't have to go messing around with time anymore.


	42. Not-So-Anonymous

The news of Professor Lupin resigning from Hogwarts had spread like wildfire, and in less than 24 hours, the entire school had heard about it. Once again, another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had been lost and once again, only a fraction of the student body and staff knew the real reason why.

Not to say that people hadn't found out that Lupin was a werewolf because that gossip had spread nearly twice as fast as the fact that he was leaving. But no one knew about Peter Pettigrew and the Time-Turner and the inner workings of You-Know-Who that were tied into the gossip . . . no one except those who had been involved.

As a sort of thank you to Harry, however, Lupin had returned the Marauder's Map. Paired with the invisibility cloak, Shaye could only imagine the sort of trouble they would get up to in the coming years.

Sitting in the Great Hall, finally stress-free enough to enjoy a proper meal, Shaye was enjoying her breakfast along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. 

Ron, who had been let out of the hospital wing the day before, continued to ask questions about what Shaye, Harry and Hermione had been up to and why they wouldn't tell him what was going on. While the ongoing joke was funny, they did decide to finally let him in on the truth.

While Harry and Hermione explained the Time-Turner to Ron, Shaye was distracted with something else. Sitting a few people down, George was laughing away with Fred and Lee, as usual. He hadn't noticed Shaye looking at him, or if he had, he didn't acknowledge her.

Shaye had been trying to figure out what had gone wrong with her and George's odd friendship but for the life of her, she couldn't come up with anything. There must have been something she was missing.

"Hey, look!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, pulling Shaye from her thoughts.

Swooping down from the ceiling, a small gray owl was carrying a rather large package. The little bird seemed to struggle a bit but eventually, it dropped the long, wrapped item onto the table in front of Harry. 

Everyone at the Gryffindor table looked over, eager to see what Harry had gotten. While Harry got to work at unwrapping the brown paper around his mail, Shaye grabbed a roll of parchment that had been tied to the owl's leg. 

Unwrapping the parchment, Shaye skimmed the letter before sharing the news out loud. "Whoever sent this says they hope you like the gift," she told Harry. "It also says, 'sorry for the loss of your rat, Ron. I hope this owl will make a fine replacement."

Ron looked down at the little gray owl. "For me?"

By then, Harry had opened the present and the group had let out a collective gasp. Sitting on the table was the shiniest, most beautiful broom that Shaye had ever seen.

"It's a Firebolt," Fred said as he and George moved closer.

George nodded. "It's the fastest broom in the world."

Harry smiled. "But who sent it?"

Shaye just shrugged, indicating that there was no name on the letter. 

"This came with it." Hermione held up a large, gray hippogriff feather. Instantly, it was obvious who had sent the gift.

It was then that Shaye noticed there was another page behind the letter she had unrolled. Upon first glance, she knew exactly what it was and handed it over to Harry. Harry took the parchment in his hand and grinned wide. 

With a messy signature at the bottom from Sirius Black himself, Harry was holding a Hogsmeade permission form. Carefully, he folded it and tucked it into his robes.

Seconds later, everyone was begging Harry to have a go on his broom after he had gotten a chance to try it out himself. With Firebolt in hand and a gaggle of Gryffindor's on his heel, Harry headed out to the courtyard and mounted the broom.

One second, Harry was standing on the ground and the next, he was shooting up into the air. The Firebolt had lived up to its name and reputation; it really was the fastest broom in the world.

The Gryffindor's cheered as Harry looped the castle and shot through the air at incredible speeds. All the while, Harrying was shouting and whooping and having the time of his life.

What a great way to end yet another great year.

═══════════════

Sitting down across from Hermione in the empty train compartment, Shaye sighed as the locomotive let out a loud whistle and the windows began to fog up with steam. Any second now, the Hogwarts Express would pull away from Hogwarts Station and be taking the many students back to London.

"What are you going to do over the summer?" Hermione asked as she peeked into the aisle, trying to see where Harry and Ron had wandered off to.

Shaye shrugged. "Probably try to get out of the house as much as possible. I'm sure my parents are still mad about what happened at Christmas."

"You should come spend some time with me and my family," Hermione suggested. "My parents would love to have you."

"Yeah." Shaye smiled. "That would be fun. I'd like that."

There was a moment of silence where the two girls were unsure what to say to one another. Then, Hermione blurted out what she had been wanting to say to Shaye ever since they had rescued Buckbeak and Sirius.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the Time-Turner." Hermione apologized. "I wanted to but McGonagall told me not to and I was worried about Harry and Ron finding out."

"Don't apologize," Shaye told her. "I understand why you had to keep it a secret."

Hermione was relieved that her friend wasn't mad. "Still . . . you've always trusted me with your secrets. I should have done the same."

"Yeah . . . about that." Shaye smiled sheepishly. "There may be one secret I've been keeping from you too."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What? Is it about your sister?"

"No . . . no, I wish." Shaye shook her head. "It's about George."

"George?"

"He was giving me secret lessons and teaching me ways to cheat so that I would get good grades in Potions and my other hard classes," Shaye admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I was afraid it would hurt your feelings since you were spending so much time tutoring me."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Well, I'm not too happy about the cheating but my feelings wouldn't have been hurt. I know that not everyone learns the same way that I do. I could tell you were struggling."

"Thank you."

A sly smile spread across Hermione's face. "So the offer to tutor you was serious? I'm a little surprised, to be honest."

"I was too, believe me," Shaye smirked. "But you know what, when George wasn't being relentlessly annoying, it was actually kind of fun . . . while it lasted, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when my parents found out about me looking for Lorelei and I came clean about not actually studying all summer, there wasn't really a point to keep trying so hard in class. So, I stopped taking tutoring from both you _and_ George." Shaye explained. "Then he kinda just stopped talking to me . . . if anything, he started ignoring me."

"It's because he likes you," Ron said from the doorway where he and Harry had been standing for who knows how long.

Shaye furrowed her brows. "Hey, eavesdropping much?!"

"You were talking so loud that I could have heard you from three compartments over," Ron scoffed as he and Harry took a seat. 

"Nevermind about that." Hermione smiled. "What did you say, Ron?"

Ron's face soured with disgust. "Ugh, don't make me repeat it. It's gross."

"It's not gross." Hermione rebutted. "George likes Shaye. It's cute!"

"That's my brother and my friend!" Ron grumbled. "It's not okay!"

"And it's not true," Shaye added. 

Ron shook his head. "Trust me, I _wish_ I were lying. I heard Fred and George talking about it at home during the holidays. Almost ruined Christmas dinner for me."

"Oh, you are such a baby." Hermione huffed. "Grow up!"

Shaye nodded in agreement. "And besides, if he liked me so much, why is he suddenly ignoring me?"

"Because you blew him off," Ron stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Fred and George hate schoolwork. Do you really think either one of them would willingly do more of it in their free time just out of the kindness of their hearts?"

"That's a good point," Harry said.

"But I didn't blow him off!" Shaye defended herself. "I told him I didn't need lessons anymore and I thanked him."

"But then he asked if you wanted to hang out anyway and you said no," Harry reminded her. "I was there, remember? I heard the whole thing."

Realization washed over Shaye like a tidal wave. "Oh, no!" she buried her face in her hands. "I was a twat, wasn't I?"

Harry and Ron nodded. "No, you weren't." Hermione disagreed. "If boys learned how to express their feelings better and use their words then they would save themselves a lot of needless trouble."

"How more obvious could he have been?!" Ron questioned. "George was doing _schoolwork_."

"Lots of people like doing schoolwork." Hermione huffed.

Ron scoffed. "Name one person besides yourself."

Hermione was silent. Ron smirked triumphantly.

Shaye sighed heavily. "So George was helping me because he liked me and then I heartlessly ditched him and now he's angry with me?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded in unison.

"Oh, Merlin." Shaye felt horrible. "Sure, he got on my nerves a lot, but I didn't mean to be so harsh. I didn't think there was anything to it. I genuinely thought he was just helping me to be nice . . . or because he liked annoying me . . . or both!"

"He's a guy." Hermione shrugged. "He'll come around. They always do."

Ron nodded, for once agreeing with Hermione. "He's probably already forgotten about it."

Shaye shook her head. "He was ignoring me in the Great Hall just the other day."

"That's because Fred told him to play hard to get," Ron said, ignoring the odd looks Shaye and Hermione gave him. "Listen, I never said they were the brightest Weasleys."

"I'll bet if you apologized he'd stop ignoring you," Hermione suggested. 

Shaye just slouched in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, then what? Ron does have a point . . . George _is_ his older brother. It would be weird. Plus, I don't even think I like him like that."

"Thank you." Ron gave a curt nod.

"Well, you have all summer to think about it," Hermione said. "In two short months, we'll all be back here anyway."

Shaye smiled as she imagined what her fourth year at Hogwarts had in store for her. "Yeah . . . two short months."


	43. The Quidditch World Cup

**Year 4 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

With her arms wrapped around her knees, Shaye sat at the top of her household staircase, looking down at her parents below. They were standing beside the front door looking at one another, the glints of emotions in their eyes saying more than words ever could. Through tear-brimmed eyes, Shaye watched as her father hugged her mother goodbye and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Elise sighed softly, savouring the intimacy before she grabbed Dorian's black jacket from the coat rack and handed it to him. Dorian slipped his arms into the jacket slowly before grabbing his briefcase and clearing his throat. 

"Goodbye," Dorian spoke so quietly that is was barely even audible to Elise, who was right in front of him.

Shaye opened her mouth to speak, to say something . . . anything . . . but she couldn't. The words caught in her throat and she pressed her lips into a tight line. She hugged her legs harder into her chest and wiped her tears away.

Dorian looked up at his daughter for a brief moment. He didn't say anything either. Then, with a curt nod that could have meant a million different things, he opened the front door and disappeared. 

As soon as the front door shut once more, Shaye let out a gut-wrenching sob and ran down the stairs. Elise tried to stop her, to embrace her and never let go, but she didn't move quickly enough.

Shaye ripped the front door open and stepped out into a world of darkness. For miles and miles around her, all she saw was black . . . no houses, no cars, no grass, no sky . . . nothing but black. 

"Dad!" Shaye screamed into the nothingness. 

Dorian didn't answer. He was gone. The silence was deafening. The darkness was blinding.

Shaye dropped to her knees and began to cry harder than she ever had before. Her mind filled with all of the things she wished she had said to her father before he had left and when they all tried to come out at once, they caught in her throat. Shaye began to cough and sputter as her own words choked her out. 

She gasped for breath and clawed at her throat but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't fill her lungs with air. The darkness was closing in on her, squeezing her tighter and tighter, suffocating her from the outside while her gnawing thoughts suffocated her from the inside.

Shaye's mouth hung open like a fish out of water and she gasped and she clawed and she prayed and . . .

Shaye shot up in bed, her body soaked with sweat and her breathing shallow and ragged. Grabbing fistfuls of her bed covers, she stared around the room, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness of the night before she started recognizing the familiar objects of Ginny's room.

Across the room, Ginny and Hermione were in their respective beds, fast asleep. The sight of them grounded Shaye to reality and she reminded herself that it had only been a nightmare . . . well, most of it had.

Lying back down, her heart rate slowly returning to normal, Shaye rolled over and tried not to think about the day her dad had left. She couldn't help it though. The memory just kept popping back into her mind like an annoying song you just couldn't forget, no matter how hard you tried. 

Shaye had only been home for summer break for about a week when her father had announced that he was leaving. He claimed it was for work but whenever Shaye asked him about any details, he dodged the question or completely ignored her altogether. In fact, Dorian barely spoke a single word to Shaye during the week they spent together unless prompted by Elise.

Before Shaye knew it, he was walking out the door. There were so many things she had wanted to tell her father before he had left but she hadn't. And with his return date unknown, she had no idea when she would finally get the chance to tell him how sorry she was. 

Sorry for lying to him and for yelling and a million other things that she was sure she needed to apologize for.

But that was nearly two months ago now. A long two months spent at the Weasley's home because Elise had insisted her daughter spend her summer with her friends instead of moping around the house. September was coming up fast now and Shaye hadn't heard much from either one of her parents in a while.

It was obvious that Dorian's sudden departure was jarring on Elise too, which Shaye believed was the real reason she had been sent away for the summer. Either way, Shaye had been staying with Ron and his family since and waking up with nightmares at least once a week.

Nightmares because Shaye was convinced her antics were the reason her family was broken.

Closing her eyes, Shaye thought back to the last time she and her parents had truly been happy; the family dinner before she had told them the truth about everything. She could see her mother's smile and hear her father's laugh. It wasn't much but it was enough to soothe her back to sleep.

"Shaye, wake up."

Shaye groaned. It felt like she had only drifted back off to sleep seconds ago, but when she opened her eyes and saw the tiniest bit of early morning sunlight spilling in through the window, she knew that wasn't true.

"I'm up." Shaye sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I'm up."

Hermione looked over at her friend as she stuffed a few last-minute things into her bag. "Did you get any sleep last night?" she asked. "You look exhausted."

Looking over at the mirror in Ginny's room, Shaye winced a little at her reflection. She looked a little paler than normal and there were huge bags under her eyes. 

"Yeah, a little," Shaye said. "Better than the last time I had the nightmare, anyway."

Hermione sighed. "Still the same one?"

Shaye nodded. "It's always a little different, but he leaves every time."

"It's not your fault," Hermione assured her. "I'm sure it was just a last-minute business trip for the Ministry. He probably wasn't allowed to tell you what he was doing. The Ministry does a lot of stuff on the down-low."

"You're right. I just wish I felt like you were right."

"You'll be okay once you get some food in you," Hermione grabbed Shaye's sweater from the floor and tossed it to her. "I let you sleep in as late as possible but we're about to head out. Molly made you some toast though. Just grab your stuff and meet us downstairs."

"I'll be right down." Shaye jumped out of bed as Hermione grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and slipping her sweater over her head, Shaye grabbed the bag that she had packed the night before and double-checked that she had everything she needed. After rebraiding her hair and brushing her teeth as fast as possible, she rushed down the stairs where everyone was already waiting for her.

"There you are, sleeping beauty." George mocked.

Molly smacked him on the back of the head. "I've got some toast for you here, dear." Molly handed the food over to Shaye. "Sleep okay last night?"

"Yes, thanks." Shaye forced a smile and lied. "Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

"Not at all." Arthur did a quick head-count before opening the front door. "Everyone's here so let's head out! 422nd Quidditch World Cup, here we come!"

Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Arthur beamed, clearly over the moon with excitement. Shaye and Hermione, on the other hand, were more than happy to be tagging along but Quidditch just wasn't exactly their thing.

"Have fun!" Molly shouted as the group of eight marched out the front door at the crack of dawn.

As the group headed off into the woods just beside Ron's family home—better known as the Burrow—they began to question how exactly they were going to get to this Quidditch match.

"Ron, where are we actually going?" Harry asked.

"Don't know," Ron answered. "Hey, Dad. Where are we going?"

Arthur looked back over his shoulder and shrugged. "Haven't the foggiest. Keep up!"

Finishing off her first piece of toast, Shaye was just about to take a bite out of her second one when someone towered over her from behind and snatched it out of her hand. Shaye rolled her eyes and wiped the crumbs from her hands. She didn't even need to look up to know who had robbed her of her breakfast.

"You're tall enough, you know." Shaye looked up at George, who along with his twin brother, had sprouted up quite a bit over the summer. "You don't need any more fuel in your body. Me, on the other hand . . . I've still got growing to do."

George scoffed and bit into the toast. While Shaye had gotten taller over the summer as well, she was still quite a bit shorter than either of the twins. Even Harry and Ron had grown a lot in the short two months since the end of third-year. That and, apparently, all of the boys had decided to grow their hair out nice and long.

"Listen here, hippy boy." Shaye grabbed her toast back, not even caring that George had already eaten half of it. "I might put up with a lot of your rubbish, but stealing my food is crossing a line. I will end you."

"You're so cute when you're trying to be tough." George plucked the last bite of toast out of Shaye's fingers and plopped it into his mouth. "Maybe someday you'll actually be able to back up some of those empty threats of yours."

With a sly grin, George jogged off with Fred following close behind. Knowing them, they were probably off to stir up some trouble. Shaye just frowned as she watched them go, the knowledge that she had been bested once again bugging her to no end. George was a good match-up when it came to sass, and even though the scores were always close to being tied, Shaye still hated when he got the last laugh.

"Still convincing yourself that the two of you don't fancy each other?" Hermione fell into pace beside Shaye.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Shaye rolled her eyes. "We're just friends."

Hermione snickered. "Yeah . . . _okay_."

"Besides, we couldn't date even if we wanted to. It would be too weird," Shaye said. "Ron's not okay with it, which he has made abundantly clear on more than one occasion."

"Since when do you care what Ron thinks?"

"He may be Ron, but he is our friend."

Hermione sighed. "Fine. I just think you deserve to be happy."

Shaye chuckled airily. "I've got way too much on my plate right now to start worrying about being happy."

Before either girl could say another word, a man emerged from behind a tree in the distance and waved happily to Ron's father. "Arthur!" he smiled. "It's about time, son."

"Sorry, Amos," Arthur replied. "Some of us had a bit of a sleepy start."

"He could have just said my name," Shaye grumbled. "We all know it was me."

"This is Amos Diggery, everyone." Arthur introduced his friend. "Works with me at the Ministry."

Just then, a teenage boy jumped down from the tree that no one had even noticed he had been sitting in. Shaye did a double-take, making sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

"I'm not crazy, right?" Shaye asked. "Did everyone else just see that boy fall from the tree?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, we all saw it."

"And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?" Arthur shook the boy's hand. 

The boy, Cedric, nodded. "Yes, sir."

Cedric looked to be about Fred and George's age, maybe a little older. He had brown hair, just like his father, and was certainly easy on the eyes. Shaye, Hermione and Ginny shared a knowing look followed by an impressed smile.

"Merlin's beard!" Amos spotted Harry among the group. "You must be Harry Potter."

"Yes, sir," Harry answered. He was used to this by now.

Amos shook Harry's hand. "Great, great pleasure."

"Pleasure to meet you too, sir."

Then, with Amos and Cedric joining them, the group continued on through the woods. After a while, they reached the treeline and started up a steep grassy hill. With the sun almost fully risen by then and the sky a brilliant, bright shade of orange, the group of ten reached the top of the hill where a single, old boot was waiting for them.

"Why are they all standing around that manky old boot?" Harry asked.

"That isn't just any manky old boot, mate," Fred told him.

"It's a Portkey," George added.

"Time to go!" Arthur announced and one by one, the group circled around and grabbed onto the boot.

Harry, however, was still standing around asking questions. "What's a Portkey?" he inquired, very confused.

As Amos began to count down from three, Arthur noticed at the last second that Harry wasn't holding the boot. "Harry!" Arthur shouted and as Amos reached one, Harry grabbed onto the boot.

Shaye felt her grip tighten on the boot as the world began to spin around her. Those who had never used a Portkey before, such as herself, let out a shriek of surprise when they suddenly found themselves hurtling through the air.

There was a bright flash of light and then in a whirl of faces, Shaye could hear Arthur telling everyone to let go. Hearing Harry's screams as he let go, followed by Ron's and Hermione's, Shaye released her grip on the boot and shouted as her body flew backward.

The next thing she knew, she was smacking hard into a grassy field in what looked like the middle of nowhere. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George suffered much of the same rough landing as Shaye had but Arthur, Amos and Cedric chuckled at the inexperienced Portkey users as they ever-so-gracefully floated down through the air and landed seamlessly in the field.

"I'll bet that cleared your sinuses, eh?" Arthur laughed.

Shaye groaned. "Everything hurts."

Walking over, Cedric offered everyone a hand up. Once everyone was on their feet again, a few of them with a few more bruises than they had had at the start of the day, the group ventured over the crest of another nearby hill and found what they had been looking for on the other side.

In a sea of tents and crowds of people chanting, witches and wizards zoomed by overhead on brooms and vendors pushed past, shouting about making bets on the World Final game. The only colours visible were green, for the Irish team, and red, for the Bulgarian team. Looming in the background, Shaye spotted a Quidditch stadium bigger than any she had ever seen before.

It was the most spectacular thing Shaye had ever seen and for the first time that summer, she had completely forgotten about her troubles.

"Well, kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!" Arthur announced.


	44. Celebratory Chaos

Moving through the crowds of people gathered for the Quidditch World Cup, Shaye tried her best to take in as many sights as possible while also making sure she didn't get separated from her group. Thankfully, Arthur Weasley kept shouting for everyone to keep up and stay together, so as long as Shaye could hear his voice, she was golden.

Tents were scattered all over the large, grassy field and at one point Shaye even thought she caught a glimpse of two house-elves riding alpacas. Irish and Bulgarian flags were hanging from every possible place they could be and every once in a while the whole group had to duck to avoid being hit by someone swooping low overhead on a broom.

As Amos and his Cedric split off to find their own tent, Arthur led Shaye and everyone else to their own accommodations. When Shaye first saw the small, brown canvas tent that Arthur was ushering everyone into, she had no idea how all eight of them were ever supposed to fit.

"What?" Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing. 

Upon entering, however, it soon became abundantly clear that the tent was bewitched because even though it looked like it would only fit one person from the outside, the inside was so large that Shaye was sure they could fit at least five more people inside and still have plenty of room.

While the outside was plain-looking and rather unassuming, the inside was decorated with tapestries of all colours. There was a living room with cozy armchairs, a kitchen, a dining room, and even separate sleeping quarters for the boys and the girls.

"Girls, choose a bunk and unpack," Arthur said.

Shaye, Hermione and Ginny ventured into the area of the tent where two sets of bunkbeds sat. While Shaye chose the top on one and Hermione set her stuff down underneath her, Ginny took the entire second bunk all to herself. Shaye and Hermione insisted that Ginny should have the most room since they had felt a little bad for encroaching on her space during the summer. 

"Ron, get out of the kitchen." Arthur could be heard already scolding Ron. "We're all hungry."

"Yeah, get out of the kitchen, Ron!" the twins echoed from the dining room.

Arthur turned on Fred and George next. "Feet off the table!"

"Feet off the table!" Fred and George shouted, removing their feet from the tabletop only long enough for their father to see before putting them back as soon as his back was turned.

Harry, who was still in awe of the tent, grinned. "I love magic," he said.

As Shaye set her bag down and began to unzip it to unpack some of her things, a chocolate frog suddenly leapt out at her and she let out an involuntary screech. She hadn't known when or how, but at some point during the hike, one of the twins had put it in there; there was no question about that.

Picking up the frog, which was dormant now because they only ever had one good jump in them, Shaye marched over to where the twins were sitting and stuffed the frog down the back of George's sweater. 

"Can't we just have one day without any pranks?!" Shaye asked as George squirmed to get the frog out of his clothes. 

"How did you know it was me and not Fred?" George furrowed his brows.

Shaye shrugged. "I didn't. Lucky guess."

"I would never do something so juvenile," Fred stated matter-of-factly. "Chocolate frog in the bag? Weak. It was obviously George because he's got a soft spot for you."

"I do not!" George denied.

"Do too." Fred insisted. 

"Listen!" Shaye stopped the bickering. "I don't care if the prank is big or small, weak or strong. If either one of you pranks me again, I swear to Merlin I will find a way to get back at you and it will _not_ be pretty."

George opened his mouth to say something in return but Shaye turned on her heel and walked away before he could get a single word out. Shaye smirked to herself. This time, she got the last laugh.

The group spent most of the day inside the tent and exploring the grounds, and when the sun finally began to set and people started heading toward the stadium for the match, they got dressed and ready (painted faces and all) and they went to find their seats.

The stadium was electric. Bright lights lit up the stands, the cheering was nearly deafening and fireworks were being set off in anticipation of the event. Vendors all over were shouting for people to buy their merchandise and, as a result, almost everyone present was dawning green in support of the Irish, red in support of the Bulgarians, or both.

"Blimey, Dad!" Ron exclaimed as they reached the top of yet another flight of steps. "How far up are we?"

"Well, put it this way . . . if it rains, you'll be the first to know." Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the crowd on the level below and glared up at them. Draco was by his side.

Draco smirked. "Father and I are in the Minister's box by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself."

"Don't boast, Draco." Lucius hit his son with his cane. "There's no need with these people."

Not wanting any more of his day ruined by the rotten Malfoys, Harry turned to walk away. Lucius, however, stopped him by snagging his sweater with his cane.

"Do enjoy yourself, won't you? While you can." Lucius sneered. Then, with a sickening smirk, he released Harry and sauntered off with Draco by his side.

"Just forget about them." Shaye shook her head as they turned to climb their final flight of steps. "Besides, maybe if we're lucky, one of the Seekers will spot their shiny blonde heads and mistake them for the Golden Snitch."

Everyone, even Arthur, snickered a little. With that, they arrived at their assigned spots at the topmost level of the stadium. Sure, it was super high up and a little hard to see the pitch below, but the experience was just the same.

Seconds later, a swarm of green-clad Quidditch players zoomed onto the pitch, green and silver smoke streaking behind them. 

"It's the Irish!" Fred cheered. His green and silver scarf, hat, and facepaint made it obvious which team he was cheering for.

"There's Troy!" George pointed out. He had an Irish scarf on as well but had painted two red streaks onto his cheeks.

"And Mullet!"

"And Moran!"

As the Irish team flew up into the air, a bunch of fireworks went off around them, forming the shape of a huge dancing Leprechaun. 

"Ireland! Ireland! Ireland!" the stadium chanted together.

Shaye, who had red paint on her cheeks from Ron (who had made her and Harry cheer for Bulgaria with him because Ginny and Hermione were already wearing green), shouted and clapped along with everyone else. Despite Quidditch not exactly being 'her thing', it was still something that every witch and wizard could enjoy, no matter how much they actually knew about the game.

"Here come the Bulgarians!" Fred shouted and not a second later, a pack of Quidditch players dressed head to toe in red flew right through the dancing leprechaun, causing it to dissipate.

The Bulgarian team soared right through the Irish team before doing a lap around the stadium. One man, in particular, took the lead and started showing off with a bunch of fancy moves on his broom. The crowd went wild for him.

"Who's that?" Ginny asked.

"That, sis, is the best Seeker in the world," George answered. 

As if on cue, a huge image of the Bulgarian Seeker was cast onto the side of the stadium for all to see. "Krum! Krum! Krum!" the crowd chanted next.

Krum did a solo lap around the pitch while the crowd chanted his name. It was clear he lived for the adoration of his fans. Once the teams had finished their introductions, the crowd went silent in preparation for the start of the match.

 _"Good evening!"_ Cornelius Fudge's voice could be heard echoing through the stadium. Shaye couldn't see him because his personal box (which he was apparently sharing with the Malfoys) was much farther down. _"As Minister for Magic, it gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup! Let the match begin!"_

And just like that, the Quaffle, Bludgers and Golden Snitch were released into the air and the match had started. 

The crowd managed to keep up their energy up all through the match, not that they had much of a problem with it. The game was one of the most exciting Quidditch games that Shaye had ever seen. It was one thing watching school matches with a bunch of 11-17 year-olds playing but it was another watching the best of the best in the professional league. 

The match was an incredibly close one, with people screaming and chanting and cheering the whole time. By the time the game had been called, which had seemed to fly by in an instant, Bulgaria had caught the Golden Snitch but Ireland had won 170-160. 

Everyone dressed in green began screaming at the top of their lungs and the celebrating was sure to carry on well into the night.

High off of adrenaline and enjoying every second of it with her friends, Shaye only just realized she was wearing George's green scarf when she was taking it off back at the tent. She couldn't even remember when he had draped it over her, but she did slightly recall him making some dumb remark as he did.

With a warm fire going in the living room thanks to Arthur, the boys were dancing around the furniture like lunatics. Fred and George were singing Irish jig songs in horrid, high pitched voices while dancing around in circles. George even had an Irish flag draped over his shoulders like a cape.

"There's no one like Krum." Ron climbed up onto the chairs so he could stand on it. "He's like a bird, the way he rides the wind."

Then, as if the twins couldn't get any more irritating, they started flapping their arms like birds and circling Ron. 

"He's more than an athlete," Ron stated as George covered him with his Irish flag. "He's an artist."

Ginny giggled. "I think you're in love, Ron."

Ron grimaced. "Shut up."

"Viktor, I love you!" George began singing.

"Viktor, I do!" Fred joined in.

By then, everyone except Ron was singing. "When we're apart my heart beats only for you!"

Shaye and Hermione broke out into stomach-cramping laughter. Just then, a series of shouts and yelling erupted from outside the tent. Everyone smiled, assuming it was much of the same partying that had been going on since the end of the match.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on," Fred commented as George and Ron began smacking each other with pillows.

"Stop! Stop it!" Arthur rushed over to stop the boys from messing around. "It's not the Irish. We've gotta get out of here. Now!"

In an instant, the cheerful atmosphere and disappeared, leaving behind a thick feeling of anxiety and tension. Shaye wasn't sure if it was because she was now aware that something was wrong or if it was because things outside the tent had escalated, but all of a sudden, the shouts and yelling sounded a lot less celebratory and a lot more worrying.

His head on a swivel, Arthur did a quick head-count before ushering everyone out of the tent. He didn't even let anyone pack up their things first, indicating that whatever was going on, it was serious.

As soon as Shaye stepped out of the tent and into the field, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. People were running around in a panic left and right, screaming and crying and calling out for friends and family. 

"Get out, it's the Death Eaters!" someone shouted as they ran past.

"Get back to the Portkey, everybody, and stick together!" Arthur instructed and everyone huddled closer together. "Fred, George! Ginny is your responsibility!"

George wrapped his arms around Ginny tightly and Fred flanked her from the other side. The youngest Weasley sibling had a look of pure and utter terror on her face, and that was saying something considering she had once been brainwashed by the Dark Lord himself.

With that, Arthur drew his wand and disappeared into the crowd. As an employee of the Ministry of Magic, he was probably going to help out in any way that he could.

Once the parental figure of the group was gone, everything seemed to crumble into chaos. No one was sure which way to start running until Hermione picked a direction and waved for everyone to follow.

A few tents over, Shaye spotted a group of cloaked people with pointed hoods on their heads. They were speaking in a hissing language that Shaye thought she recognized as Parseltongue and carrying flaming torches in their hands. People were fleeing at the mere sight of them.

Once they got closer, Shaye noticed that they had skull masks over their faces. A shiver ran up her spine and she felt paralyzed in place. 

Upon spotted the hooded and masked figures as well, Hermione had stopped running and the entire group was huddled together once more in the middle of the mayhem. Then, without warning, everyone started moving again.

"Keep up, you lot!" Fred and George shouted over their shoulders, Ginny still squished between them.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted all of a sudden and with a quick glance backward, Shaye watched as Harry tripped and fell to the ground, quickly getting swept away in the stampede of people.

Without thinking, Shaye turned around and bolted back in the other direction. She could hear Hermione and the others calling after her, but she knew they would be safe together. Harry, on the other hand, could have gotten seriously injured if he had been crushed by the hoards of scared people.

"Harry!" Shaye grabbed his arm and pulled him back up to his feet. 

The two didn't bother trying to talk to one another because it was much too loud to possibly hear a single word. Instead, they held hands as tightly as they could and started through the crowd again. They ducked behind tents and around swarms of people.

All around them, tents were being lit on fire and smoke was filling the field, making it increasingly harder for people to see where they were going.

In the madness that was a family of wizards fleeing from their flaming tent, Harry and Shaye were knocked down to the ground. Harry let out a yelp as someone kicked him in the head hard by accident and then he fell limp into the dirt. 

"Harry!" Shaye tried to wake him but he was knocked out cold. 

Shaye shook Harry a few more times before someone trampled her leg. She let out an agonizing scream and she swore that even over all of the yelling and crying and screaming, she heard a bone break.

Unable to walk anywhere or pull Harry to safety, Shaye did the only thing she could think of and threw herself overtop of Harry to protect him. She tucked all of their limbs in until they were a human ball and waited until the chaos died down. Witches and wizards still stepped on them and kicked them and tripped over them, but they managed to make it out the other side in one piece.

Shaye wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed, but one second the screams were ringing in her ears and the next she was surrounded by deafening silence. Slowly, she lifted her head to take a look around. 

The field was bathed in the eerie light from the moon. Smoke was drifting over the charred remains of the burnt tents, the only parts left standing being the poles. The ground was littered with discarded Irish and Bulgarian merchandise from the match.

All the people were gone. Shaye looked around, her eyes watering from the smoke, but she didn't see a single person. She drew in a shaky deep breath and coughed violently when the smoke entered her lungs.

Then suddenly, a flash of green lit up the world and a skull and snake appeared in the sky, glowing bright green. Shaye recognized it instantly. It was the Dark Mark.

Harry's eyes shot open and slowly, he sat up. "Shaye." he breathed in the smoke and coughed as well. "What happened?"

"We fell," Shaye said. "Someone kicked you in the head . . . someone else stepped on my leg. I think my ankle is broken."

Shaye peered down at her right leg, but when she looked back up at Harry, his eyes were as wide as dinner plates and his face was flushed with fear. Shaye followed his eyeline and gasped. A few meters away, a man in a black trenchcoat had spotted them and was now stalking in their direction.

Harry helped Shaye stand to her feet and the two hobbled away as quickly as they could.

"Harry!" Ron's voice echoed through the wasteland. "Shaye! Where are you?!"

Hearing the sound of Ron calling, the man in the trenchcoat turned and ran off. Seconds later, Ron and Hermione darted out from behind a tent.

"We've been looking for you for ages," Ron said. "Thought we lost you guys."

Hermione threw her arms around Shaye and hugged her tight. Shaye was thrown off balance a bit and winced when she accidentally put weight on her injured ankle to stabilize herself.

Hermione was about to ask what was wrong but before she could, Harry pointed up at the green skull and snake in the sky. "What is that?" he asked as his scar began to burn.

It was then that six or so wizards appeared out of thin air in a circle around the four friends. " _Stupefy!_ " the cast at the same time, sending sparks of red shooting toward the kids in unison. Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione ducked just in time to avoid the blasts.

"Stop! That's my son!" Arthur rushed toward the children. "Ron, Harry, Shaye, Hermione, you all right?"

"We came back for Harry and Shaye," Ron told his father. 

Hermione nodded. "Shaye's hurt her ankle."

"Which of your conjured it?" a wizard with a mustache and black bowler hat pointed his wand at the four children. 

Arthur turned to the man. "Crouch, you can't possibly-"

"Do not lie!" the man demanded. "You've been discovered at the scene of the crime."

"Crime?" Harry questioned.

"Barty, they're just kids," Arthur said. 

"What crime?" Harry asked again.

Hermione gestured up to the skull and snake in the sky. "It's the Dark Mark, Harry. It's his mark."

"What, Voldemort?" Harry gasped. "Those people tonight, in the masks, they're his too, aren't they? His followers?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah. Death Eaters."

The man with the bowler hat, Barty Crouch, turned to the other wizards. "Follow me."

"There was a man." Shaye blurted out and pointed to where she had last seen the man in the trenchcoat. "Over there. He was coming after Harry and me."

"All of you, this way!" Barty Crouch led his men in the direction Shaye had pointed in.

"A man?" Arthur furrowed his brows. "Who?"

Shaye shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't see his face."

With that, they all looked up into the sky once more. The Dark Mark lingered in the air, still shining as bright and green as it had when it first appeared. The skull's mouth was open and out of it, the snake was slithering and looping. 

Shaye had seen the mark before, but looking at it like this . . . so large and real and looming over her . . . it was the most ominous and threatening thing she had ever seen. 

It made her feel sick to her stomach and sent chills through her whole body. How could anybody ever stand for something like that? Did Lorelei stand for something like that? 


	45. The Triwizard Tournament

"Anything from the trolley?" the Hogwarts Express candy lady called as she ventured down the aisle. 

Shaye ripped her eyes away from the Daily Prophet that Hermione was reading. The big story of the day was, of course, the Death Eater attack at the Quidditch World Cup final. On the front page, a black and white moving image of the Dark Mark was on full display.

While Hermione put the paper down, Harry and Ron began digging around for spare change so they could buy something from the trolley. 

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" the sweet old woman stopped in front of Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione's compartment.

While Harry and Ron bought their treats, an Asian girl with a strong Scottish accent asked for two Pumpkin Pasties. Shaye recognized her as Cho Chang from Ravenclaw and although the two had never really spoken before, Shaye knew that Cho was a nice girl. Harry seemed to think so as well because when he looked up and saw her, his cheeks flushed pink and he started grinning like an idiot.

Cho smiled back before paying for her treats and heading back to her own compartment with her two friends, who were giggling the whole way.

Shaye smirked at Harry when he sat back down but Harry just shrugged and gave his owl Hedwig, who was on the seat between him and Shaye along with Erwin, a pat on the head.

"This is horrible." Hermione pointed to the newspaper article about the attack. "How can the Ministry not know who conjured it? Wasn't there any security or . . .?"

"Loads, according to Dad," Ron said with his mouth full of Droobles. "That's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses."

Harry sighed as he reached up to scratch the skin around his scar. 

"It's hurting again, isn't it?" Hermione asked. "Your scar."

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You're also a liar." Shaye pointed out. "Take it from me and don't bottle up how you're feeling. Because the next thing you know you'll have kept so many secrets that your family is falling apart and you're having nightmares every third night and . . ." Shaye stopped herself from rambling and looked up to see everyone staring at her. "Just . . . you can tell us the truth, is what I'm trying to say."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "You know Sirius will want to hear about this . . . what you saw at the World Cup and the dream," she added.

"The dream?" Shaye asked. Obviously, she had been so caught up in her own sleep problems that she hadn't noticed Harry was having some as well.

Harry sighed before explaining the dream he had had about Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew and some other unknown man hiding out in an old farmhouse. He then said Voldemort had killed the muggle farmer who lived there and that it had felt so real it was almost like he had been there himself.

"Sounds more like a nightmare to me," Shaye said. "Dreams are supposed to be happy and fun and even a little weird sometimes . . . but not like that."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Harry nodded as he pulled a quill, a pot of ink, some parchment and an envelope out of his trunk. 

Harry then composed a short but informative letter to Sirius, as per Hermione's request—nay, demand—before sending Hedwig out the train's window with it in her beak to deliver. Erwin chirped restlessly, wanting a chance to stretch his wings as well. 

As per usual, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogwarts station at dusk and with the sunlight soon to be gone for the day, the students filed out of their compartments and hustled up to the castle where they could get settled into their common rooms and dormitories.

Things were happening a little differently this year, and although no one knew the exact reason quite yet, the excitement was high when the students were told that they were expecting visitors. 

Gathered in the courtyard with about half of the student body, Shaye couldn't believe her eyes when a group of Gryffindor girls started pointing out a winged-horse-drawn carriage in the sky. Shaye recognized the winged horses as Abraxans, which were very majestic magical creatures that her father had told her about. Hagrid was nearly flattened by the carriage itself while trying to help it land properly and risked getting kicked in the head by a hoof in the process. 

"Well, there's something you don't see every day," George commented.

With the shock and excitement of the Abraxans still radiating off of the gathered crowd, the sight of a great, big pirate ship rising out of the black lake blew everyone's minds. The ship, which dawned white flags with a crest that seemed to depict a red deer skull and two golden birds, was magnificent. 

After witnessing the arrival of their visitors, who still remained unknown for the most part, the Hogwarts students were finally ushered into the Great Hall for their start-of-term announcements and feast.

Dressed in her scarlet and gold Gryffindor robes, Shaye sat with her friends at the Gryffindor table and, like every year before, waited for Dumbledore to speak.

"Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement." Dumbledore stepped up to his podium and the whispered conversations died out. "This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen-"

Dumbledore was cut off by the Great Hall doors squeaking open and Filch running down the middle aisle, his knees lifting nearly all the way to his stomach when he did so. It was as if the man had never run before in his life and despite the anticipated news Dumbledore was about to deliver, all eyes were on him.

Filch hurried up to the podium before whispering something to Dumbledore. The first-year student, who had yet to be sorted into their houses, giggled. Seconds later, Filch ran back out of the Hall and Dumbledore returned to his speech. 

"So, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event." Dumbledore continued. "The Triwizard Tournament. Now, for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say . . . these contests are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later. For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxime."

As the Great Hall doors swung open once more, this time a lot less sudden and jarring, a group of about fourteen beautiful girls dressed in sky blue robes (that looked more like dresses) and brimmed hats walked in. In an instant, every male student in the room had eyes the size of the moon and slacked jaws.

With a graceful pose, the girls flicked their wrists and elegant white butterflies and powder blue sparkles appeared out of thin air. Even Shaye had to admit that they were quite the sight, but nothing compared to their headmistress.

Madame Maxime was the biggest woman Shaye had ever seen. She looked even taller than Hagrid and up until that point, Shaye had believed that impossible. Dressed in a long, red patterned coat with a furry hood and cuffs, she smiled at the gawking students. Clearly, she was used to being stared at.

"Blimey." Seamus gasped. "That's one big woman."

Stepping out from behind Madame Maxime, a younger girl in a pink and silver leotard performed a short gymnastics routine with a few backflips and the like. She was much younger than any of the other girls, all of whom looked to be in their final year of magical schooling.

When the ladies of Beauxbatons had finished their entrance performance, they gave a bow and the Great Hall exploded with applause. Quite a few of the boys even whistled and cheered. Shaye, Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes.

Quite obviously, the ladies had been the ones to arrive via Abraxan-drawn carriage. Next up, the visitors who had emerged from the lake.

"And now our friends from the north!" Dumbledore announced. "Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff."

All heads turned back to the doorway as a group of boys (although many of them looked like full-grown men) marched into the Great Hall. Dressed in brown uniforms, thick brown coats and black ushanka hats. 

In their hands, they held staffs and as they strode through the Hall, they pounded their staffs against the floor, creating bright, hot sparks. They too put on a spectacular performance and after twirling their staffs in their hands with incredible feats of speed and ease, they began what could only be described as the most masculine series of flips and body contortions ever.

Just then, two final males strode through the doorway. One of them was dressed in a white coat and appeared to be much older, so it was safe to assume he was the high master, Igor Karkaroff. Next to the high master was a boy Shaye had only seen once before when his image had been projected on the side of a Quidditch Stadium for hundreds of adoring fans.

Ron's jaw dropped. "Blimey, it's him. Viktor Krum!"

To end their entrance, one of the Durmstrang boys did a short firebreathing routine where the flames transformed into a large bird with wings—much like the ones on the crest the boat had on its sails. As the fire faded away, Igor and Dumbledore embraced for a quick reuniting hug.

With that, the feast began with the promise for the rest of the announcements to come afterward once everyone had gotten a chance to fill their grumbling stomachs. The Durmstrang boys joined the Slytherin table at one end of the Hall and the Beauxbaton ladies sat at the other end with the Ravenclaws.

Plates piled high with food, Shaye and her friends talked non-stop about what the Triwizard Tournament competitions could be and if they would choose to enter or not. Seamus and Dean seemed pretty sure of themselves but Neville, like always, was the first to admit that he would rather sit on the sidelines. Fred and George were over the moon excited and already discussing what the prize could be.

Neither one of them knew _exactly_ what the Triwizard Tournament was, but they had heard about it before in books and conversation, so they were just going off of their very limited knowledge.

As the platters of food began to empty and the eating was replaced mainly with talking, the teachers began to stir and four men carried in a large, multi-layered golden item. It looked almost like a trophy, but Shaye couldn't be too sure. The trophy was set on a small wooden stage in front of Dumbledore's podium and all eyes were on it.

"Your attention, please!" Dumbledore stepped up to the golden item on display. The Hall fell silent in an instant. "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

"Wicked," Fred and George said in unison. They were grinning from ear to ear.

"For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule," Dumbledore stated. "To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartimus Crouch."

A familiar man stood up from his seat at the teacher's table and Shaye recognized him at once. He was Barty Crouch, the wizard who had accused her, Harry, Ron and Hermione of conjuring the Dark Mark at the Quidditch Cup. 

As Barty Crouch stepped up to the podium to explain whatever it was he needed to explain to everyone, the bewitched ceiling of the Great Hall suddenly turned dark and stormy. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed. The younger students screamed.

Then, a side door beside the teacher's table flew open and an odd-looking man hobbled out and cast a spell on the ceiling. Within the blink of an eye, the stormy ceiling had disappeared and the usual starry night sky had returned. 

With the Great Hall lit once more, the hobbling man was more visible. He was an older gentleman with wispy red hair, a brown trenchcoat and most noticeable of all, a fake eye.

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered. "It's Mad-Eye Moody."

"Alastor Moody?" Hermione questioned. "The Auror?"

Dean furrowed his brows. "Auror?"

"Dark-wizard catcher," Ron elaborated. "Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. He's supposed to be mad as a hatter, though, these days."

All eyes in the Hall, including those belonging to the teachers, were on Mad-Eye Moody as he shuffled over to shake Dumbledore's hand. Apparently, despite his dishevelled appearance, his arrival had been expected.

Shuffling back over to the side of the room, Mad-Eye pulled a flask from the inside of his coat and took a swig of whatever was inside. 

"What's that he's drinking, do you suppose?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," Harry said.

Without further delay, Barty Crouch stepped up to the front of the Hall and cleared his throat. "After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of 17 shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision is final!"

The Great Hall broke out into grumbling and muttering and angry students lashing out. Hogwarts students as young as 11 and as old at 16 were shouting at Mr. Crouch, thoroughly disappointed that they could not gain the eternal glory that Dumbledore had promised the winner of the tournament.

"That's rubbish!" Fred and George shouted, both of them being in their sixth year at Hogwarts, making them 16 and thus, too young to compete. "That's rubbish! You don't know what you're doing!"

Shaye, on the other hand, was sort of relieved about that decision. Now, the choice had been made for her and she didn't have to struggle between risking her life to win a school tournament or sitting on the sidelines like a wimp.

"Silence!" Dumbledore put an end to the arguing. Once everyone had shut their mouths, he turned to the golden trophy and waved his wand at it. Slowly, the golden exterior melted away to reveal a large, old goblet. From the top of the goblet, blue flames flickered into the air. 

"The Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore stated. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."


	46. The Unforgivable Curses Three

"Have you talked to Hattie much lately?" Hermione asked, and when she didn't get a response from Shaye, she waved her hand in front of her face. "Shaye? Hello?"

Shaye blinked a few times at the motion in front of her face and snapped out of the trance of thought she had been in while on the way to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she turned to Hermione.

"Sorry," Shaye apologized. "What did you say?"

Hermione chuckled. "I asked if you had spoken to Hattie much lately."

"Oh." Shaye nodded. "Ugh, no . . . not much since the end of last year. With everything that happened I've just sort of . . . I don't know. Maybe it would be nice just to focus on school this year."

"I think that's a good idea." Hermione agreed. "Plus, with this Triwizard Tournament, I'm sure there will be more than enough excitement to keep you busy." 

Shaye smiled softly. "Yeah. That's what I was thinking."

As the two girls entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and took their normal spot at the front, they pulled their textbooks out and waited for everyone else to arrive.

"Have you been sleeping any better?" Hermione inquired.

"A little," Shaye answered even though she could still feel the effects of the sleep deprivation catching up on her. "I had one last night again but it wasn't as bad. Went down to the common room to stretch my legs a little and Harry was there. He had had a bad dream too. We talked a little . . . it helped."

Hermione smiled as the office door opened and Mad-Eye Moody stepped out into the classroom. "That's good. At least he knows what it's like."

Shaye lowered her voice to a whisper as the class started. "Yeah."

Standing at the front of the classroom with his hands clasped behind his back, Mad-Eye waited until all eyes were on him before beginning the first lesson of the year. "Alastor Moody." he started by introducing himself and writing his last name down on the chalkboard behind himself. "Ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

Shaye had quite a few questions, actually, but after getting a closer look at Mad-Eye and seeing the deep scarring on his face and the way his fake eye danced around wildly, she decided to keep her questions to herself. The other students did the same.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach." Mad-Eye continued. "But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

"Three, sir," Hermione answered with a quiver in her voice. Her desire to answer any question she knew the answer to only just slightly outweighing how intimidated she was by their new professor.

Mad-Eye turned back to the chalkboard. "And they are so named?"

"Because they are unforgivable," she said. "The use of any one of them will-"

"-will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct," Mad-Eye scribbled madly. "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! You need to find another place to put your chewing gum beside the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

All heads turned toward Seamus, who was, in fact, in the process of sticking his gum under his desk. "No way." Seamus gasped, unsure of how Mad-Eye had seen him when he had been facing the chalkboard. "The old codger can see out the back of his head."

"And hear across classrooms!" Mad-Eye spun around and threw his piece of chalk at Seamus. It was official, this man was terrifying. "So, which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"

Ron jolted in his chair. "Yes?"

"Stand."

Slowly, Ron rose to his feet. Shaye could see him shaking from where she was sitting.

"Give us a curse," Mad-Eye told him.

Ron swallowed hard. "Well, my dad did tell me about one. The Imperius Curse."

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that." Mad-Eye nodded. "Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."

Returning back to the front of the room, Mad-Eye pulled the lid off of a glass container sitting on his desk and pulled out a small spider. " _Engorgio._ " he cast a spell on the spider to make it the size of his hand so it was easier for everyone to see.

Shaye shuddered at the sight of the giant arachnid. Ron whimpered.

" _Imperio._ " Mad-Eye cursed the spider, causing the creature to unwillingly fly to wherever he pointed with his wand. The spider was under his complete control.

Mad-Eye put the spider on Dean and Neville's desk first, which made them both push back in their chairs as they tried to get as far away from it as possible. Next, the spider was put onto Crabbe's face, which terrified him but amused everyone else. 

"Don't worry. It's completely harmless." Mad-Eye assured the class as he put the spider onto the arm of one of the Patil twins' arms and began laughing hysterically. "If she bites, she's lethal."

The spider wiggled in the air above Ron's head. Ron's face went pale white and he let out another whimper. Then the spider landed on his ginger head of hair and Shaye was sure that Ron was going to die of fear right then and there.

"What are you laughing at?" Mad-Eye sent the spider to Draco next, allowing the arachnid to crawl over his face. Draco screeched.

"Talented, isn't she?" Mad-Eye seemed to be having the time of his life before things took a dark turn. "What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" he smacked the spider against the glass. "Drown herself?" the spider dangled over a bucket of water, its legs thrashing about. 

The class went silent as Mad-Eye returned the spider to the palm of his hand. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse," Mad-Eye said. "But here's the rub . . . how do we sort out the liars? Another, another. Up, up. Come on."

This time, about ten or so hands slowly rose into the air, Shaye's included. Mad-Eye looked to Neville, who was sitting directly in front of him. "Longbottom, isn't it?"

Neville nodded and stood up. 

"Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology," Mad-Eye commented.

Neville nodded once more. "There's the, um . . . the Cruciatus Curse."

"Correct, correct." Mad-Eye motioned for Neville to step up to the front of the room. "Particularly nasty. The torture curse. _Crucio!_ "

The spider, which was standing upon a magnifying glass on the desk, began to squirm and writhe and emit the worst, high-pitched squeal that Shaye had ever heard. Mad-Eye was so focused on the arachnid that he had failed to notice Neville becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Neville's face contorted in ways that proved to everyone that watching the spider suffer was affecting him. He winced and shut his eyes tight, doing everything within his power to hold it together barring throwing his hands over his ears and running away.

"Stop it!" Hermione finally put a stop to it. "Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!"

Looking up, Mad-Eye noticed the look on Neville's face and recoiled his wand immediately. The spider instantly relaxed and the squealing stopped. Neville's fash flushed with relief as well.

Picking up the spider, Mad-Eye walked it over to Shaye and Hermione's desk and put it down directly in front of Hermione. Shaye backed away. Hermione didn't even dare look at the creature.

"Perhaps you could give me that last Unforgivable Curse, Miss Granger?" Mad-Eye asked.

Hermione shook her head. Shaye swore she could see tears welling in her eyes.

"No?" Mad-Eye asked. Then, without warning, he drew his wand and shouted, " _Avada Kedavra!_ "

A flash of green light shot out of the tip of Mad-Eye's wand and the spider crumpled onto its back, its legs giving a few final twitches before it died on the spot. 

Shaye and Hermione held hands under the table, the sight of the dead spider in front of them a little too overwhelming. 

"The Killing Curse," Mad-Eye said. "Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room." Mad-Eye looked right at Harry before pulling his flask out of his coat and taking another swig of whatever was inside.

With that, the class was dismissed. Shaye's head was pounding and she felt as though she had been sitting inside of that room for hours on end. By the looks on the other students' faces, they felt more or less the same.

"Brilliant, isn't he?" Ron beamed as the group of four exited the classroom and descended the adjacent staircase. "Completely demented, of course, and terrifying to be in the same room with, but he's really been there, you know? He's looked evil in the eye."

"I don't know if 'brilliant' is the word I would use." Shaye sighed. "I think you hit it more on the head with 'completely demented.'"

Hermione huffed angrily. "There's a reason those curses are unforgivable. To perform them in a classroom . . . I mean, did you see Neville's face?"

Just then, the four came across Neville himself. The quiet boy was staring out one of the many stained glass windows. He didn't move or blink or anything. His face was flushed pale white and he looked like he might be sick.

"Neville?" Hermione turned to him.

Neville didn't say a word and seconds later, Mad-Eye hobbled over to him and grabbed him on the shoulder. "Son?" he seemed to genuinely care all of a sudden. "You all right?"

Neville nodded.

"Come on." Mad-Eye waved for him to follow back to the classroom. "We'll have a cup of tea. I want to show you something."

Reluctantly, and with a crowd of students watching, Neville turned and followed after Mad-Eye. 

For the rest of her classes that day, Shaye couldn't get the sound of that poor spider squealing out of her head. It rang in her ears like an echoing bell and got louder the quieter it got around her. During a Potions essay she was composing during her free period, she had to hum quietly to herself to keep the sound at bay.

As evening approached and dark clouds filled the sky, sending rain pouring down over the school grounds, the noise slowly emptied from Shaye's head and she was able to focus more on what she was doing.

Along with Hermione, the two of them ventured to the Great Hall where the Goblet of Fire sat in the middle of the room. The torches that lined the walls didn't burn, allowing the blue flame from the goblet to illuminate the Hall.

Aiming to work on some homework—Hermione doing some reading in advance and Shaye planning to finish her essay—the two girls gathered on one of the benches beside the goblet and worked, while also watching the many students who were approaching to enter their name into the tournament.

Every time a brave student would throw a parchment with their name on it into the flame, everyone would clap. It was quite exciting, actually, to see who was brave enough to become a possible contestant.

With a loud burst of cheering, Shaye and Hermione looked up just in time to see a group of boys pushing Cedric Diggory toward the goblet. A wide grin on his face, Cedric tossed his name into the fire. Everyone clapped.

Harry and Ron, who were watching from the other side of the room, shared a look. It was unclear if it was one of jealously because they couldn't enter themselves or one of relief that it was Cedric and not them. Either way, they applauded just the same.

"Eternal glory." Ron shoved his hands into his pockets as he and Harry walked over. "Be brilliant, wouldn't it? Three years from now, when we're old enough to be chosen."

"Yeah." Harry scoffed. "Rather you than me."

Suddenly, it became clear that Ron's look had been one of jealousy and Harry's one of relief.

Shaye shook her head. "It's purely for show. Eternal glory means nothing. Only a true idiot would-"

Shaye was cut off by the sounds of Fred and George running into the hall, vials of some sort of potion in their hands and looks of complete and utter elation on their faces. Shaye had known from the second Barty Crouch had announced the age restriction that they would try something stupid, and here it was.

"My point exactly." Shaye gestured toward the twins.

"Well, lads, we've done it." Fred boasted.

George nodded. "Cooked it up just this morning."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's not going to work," she said in a sing-song voice.

Fred and George knelt down in front of Shaye and Hermione. "Oh yeah?" Fred asked.

"And why's that, Granger?" George followed up.

Hermione scoffed and closed the book she had been reading. "You see this?" she pointed to the faint golden line that surrounded the goblet. "This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

Fred furrowed his brows. "So?"

"So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion," she explained.

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant." Fred smiled.

George smiled too. "Because it's so pathetically dimwitted."

"You know that the both of you can't compete together, right?" Shaye looked down at them. "It's only one student from each school. And since I've seen the . . . _brilliance_ . . . that happens when you put your heads together, only one of you in a tournament filled with dangerous tasks would be disastrous. Entertaining, there's no doubt about that, but completely and utterly disastrous. Devastating, even."

Fred and George let out a laugh. "You have so little faith in us." Fred shook his head.

"I promise I'll still remember you when I'm soaking up all of that eternal glory," George said.

And with that, the twins stood up on top of the nearest bench, shook their concoctions, unstoppered their vials and drank down the Aging Potions. Then, at the same time, they leapt over the Aging Line. Most surprisingly, nothing happened.

Shaye and Hermione shared a disappointed look.

"Yes!" the twins cheered, under the impression that their dimwitted plan had worked. The gathered crowd cheered and applauded.

Then, Fred and George drew small slips of parchment from their robes and dropped it into the flame. Once again, it seemed as though their elaborate scheme had succeeded. That was, until the blue flame began to sputter and shot out at the twins, throwing them away from the goblet.

Fred and George let out a scream as they hurdled through the air and when they finally landed, they both had long white hair and thick white beards. Their Aging Potion had, as predicted by Hermione, backfired on them.

The students broke out into fits of laughter as the twins began wrestling each other on the floor, blaming one another for the unfortunate outcome. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" the crowd chanted.

Shaye and Hermione smirked before returning to their work. They didn't get much done, however, before the chanting and shouting died down and everyone parted to make way for Viktor Krum.

Krum, with Igor Karkaroff by his side, strode up to the goblet and without a single word—and about fifty pairs of eyes on him—tossed his name into the blue flames. As he turned to leave, he looked over at Hermione and the corners of his mouth curled into the faintest smile ever seen. Hermione did the same and watched as Krum left as quickly as he had appeared.

"I think someone likes you," Shaye whispered.

Hermione's cheeks pinked up and she tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Shut up."

"You're just mad because we're even now." Shaye went back to her essay. "You bug me about George and now I can bug you about Viktor. At least your guy isn't rolling around on the floor with a white beard that could give Dumbledore's a run for its money."

Hermione snickered. "He doesn't even know who I am."

"For now." Shaye taunted, and even though Hermione was saying one thing, the blush on her cheeks and slight smile on her lips said another. 


	47. Out of the Flames, Our Champions Shall Rise

When Shaye first entered the Great Hall, she was surprised to see just how packed it was. Sure, she had been expecting everyone to show up to find out who would be competing in the Triwizard Tournament, but with every Hogwarts student plus those from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the Hall was filled to the brim.

Pushing her way through the crowds of people, Shaye made her way over to where a large group of Gryffindors were sitting. In the middle of the room, as it had been for the past few days, the Goblet of Fire continued to burn on. The blue flames flickered and shone brightly and Shaye wondered just how many names had been eaten by them. 

Almost every student from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had put their name forth but only a select few from Hogwarts had. Along with Cedric, a handful of boys had thrown their name into the goblet and an even smaller handful of girls had done the same.

Now, it was time to find out who the three lucky—or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it—students would be. 

Excitement and anticipation were thick in the air. Most students were making guesses as to who they thought would be chosen and Shaye thought she heard a seventh-year girl complaining to her friends about how she regretted entering her name. 

"Sit down. Please." Dumbledore strode into the middle of the room and waited for everyone to be seated at the various tables and benches that surrounded himself and the goblet. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for. The champion selection."

With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the orange flames from the torches on the walls died out, leaving the room to once again glow with the blue flames of the goblet. Then, slowly and deliberately, Dumbledore approached the goblet with his hand outstretched.

Suddenly, the blue flame turned bright red and a single slip of paper was produced from the fire. It was a simple, unassuming slip of parchment and upon catching it in mid-air, Dumbledore read from the smoking paper. "The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum."

The group of Durmstrang boys cheered and patted Viktor on the back as he stood from his seat and shook Dumbledore's hand. Viktor then walked over to the teachers' table where he would watch the selection of his two competitors.

The blue flame turned red again and another slip of paper shot into the air before gracefully fluttering downward. This parchment was blue and frilly and as Dumbledore caught it in his hand, it was obvious the next champion would be from Beauxbatons.

"The champion for Beauxbatons . . . is Fleur Delacour," Dumbledore announced.

A beautiful girl with a charming smile and blonde hair tied back into a ponytail emerged from the sea of blue-clad ladies. She too shook Dumbledore's hand before joining Krum at the front of the room.

There was only one more champion to be selected and this one, of course, would be from Hogwarts. The many tables filled with Hogwarts students began to mutter among themselves, predicting whose name would be called and making bets with their friends.

Once again, the blue flame appeared red for a brief moment and the final slip of paper emerged from the goblet. Snatching the parchment out of the air, Dumbledore looked down at the smoking edges before reading the name aloud.

"The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!"

The Hogwarts students, especially the Hufflepuffs, erupted into applause. Cedric stood from his seat with a huge grin on his face before shaking Dumbledore's hand and joining the two other champions.

"What an interesting group," Shaye said as she clapped for Cedric. "Should be an exciting tournament."

"Would have been more exciting if it were George or me." Fred moped. 

Ron scoffed. "It most definitely would not have been."

Shaye, Harry and Hermione chuckled.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore held his arms out wide. "We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions . . . this vessel of victory . . . the Triwizard Cup!"

As Dumbledore spun around and pointed toward the teachers' table, Barty Crouch revealed a blue and silver, intricately detailed, glowing cup. It was breathtaking and at that moment, Shaye thought she understood why people would put their lives on the line for this tournament. That prize was better than she ever could have imagined.

With all eyes on the Triwizard Cup, no one seemed to notice that the Goblet of Fire had begun sputtering, much like it had when Fred and George had tried to enter their names. It wasn't until Snape caught a glimpse of it and Dumbledore turned to look that anyone paid it any mind.

The blue flames darted out in odd directions before once again shifting into a bright red colour. The glow was stronger than it had been before and the fire was larger, the heat reaching those who were sitting or standing closest to it.

The applause for the Triwizard Cup slowly came to an end and seconds later, the red flames shot up high into the sky and out of them appeared yet another slip of parchment. This slip, however, was visibly larger, as if it were two pieces stuck together.

No one said a word as Dumbledore took hold of the charred parchment. He looked down at it and said something. Shaye had seen his lips move but he had spoken too quietly to be heard.

Dumbledore looked up and began to scan the room. "Harry Potter?" Dumbledore searched for him.

Harry, who was sitting across from Shaye, shook his head. His name couldn't possibly have been pulled. He was only 14. He was well under the age limit. He hadn't even tried to enter. 

"Harry Potter?!" Dumbledore said again, this time with a surprising amount of force in his tone. 

"It's okay, Harry." Shaye encouraged him. "It'll be-"

Dumbledore used his thumb to smudge away the soot that had been covering the bottom half of the parchment. He was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to speak but for the first few seconds, no words came out. "Shaye Frazier," he called.

Shaye felt her blood run cold. Everyone who had been looking at Harry turned their attention to her. Harry looked down at her as well, his face plastered with immense amounts of confusion. 

"Harry Potter and Shaye Frazier!" Dumbledore shouted one last time.

Without a second to process any of what was happening, Shaye and Harry were pushed from their seats by the other Gryffindors, leaving them no choice but to approach the center of the room where Dumbledore was waiting for them.

The Great Hall was deadly silent. Everyone watched as the two underage Gryffindors stepped toward the goblet, fear and confusion and a million other emotions present on their faces.

With a deadpanned stare, Dumbledore thrust the paper toward Shaye and Harry. Neither one of them took it at first, instead choosing to look down at it. Sure enough, underneath the soot, their names were written down on the smouldering pieces of parchment. 

Harry tried to take the piece with his name and Shaye tried to take the piece with her name but the two were stuck together. Fearing she might rip the paper if she pulled any harder, Shaye dropped her trembling hand to her side and let Harry take it.

Then, without a word spoken between the three of them, Shaye and Harry turned away from Dumbledore and joined the other three champions at the front of the room. 

Slowly, the whispering started. Then, people got more vocal.

"They're cheats!" a boy shouted.

"They're not even 17 yet!" someone else added. 

Snape glared at the two Gryffindor students as they stepped up to the teachers' table and stood in line with Cedric, Fleur and Krum. McGonagall gave Shaye and Harry a comforting pat on the shoulders. Mad-Eye Moody looked down at them quizically.

Then, before anyone else had the chance to shout something at Shaye and Harry, Dumbledore dismissed the Great Hall and the champions were ushered into a separate room. Down a staircase, they were met with a golden gate that swung open upon their arrival. Inside said room, trophy cases and displays were overflowing with shining awards of all kinds. 

At the front of the room, a fire was crackling. All five of the chosen champions gathered around it.

"Harry, what is happening?" Shaye finally found her voice, even though it was a quiet, barely audible squeak.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I didn't put my name in the goblet. Did you?"

Shaye shook her head. "No. I never wanted this. I don't want to do this."

Just then, the jumbled, panicked voices of Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, Igor Karkaraoff and a slew of other Hogwarts teachers could be heard as they rushed down the steps. They were shouting at one another and it quickly became obvious that they were beyond mad. 

"Harry. Shaye." Dumbledore ran up to them and grabbed them by the shoulders. "Did you put your names in the Goblet of Fire?"

Shaye and Harry shook their heads as they stumbled back into a table and knocked a brass trophy to the ground. "No, sir," they answered in unison.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No, sir."

"You're absolutely sure?"

Shaye swallowed hard. "Yes, sir." she squeaked. Harry nodded.

"But of course they are lying!" Madame Maxime, as tall as she was, swatted a hanging light fixture out of her way. Her French accent was thick and somehow made the accusation sound even worse. 

"The hell they are!" Mad-Eye snapped. "The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object. Only an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm could've hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a couple of fourth-years."

Igor Karkaraoff scoffed. "You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye."

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, Karkaroff," Mad-Eye said. "Perhaps you remember."

"This doesn't help, Alastor." Dumbledore turned to Barty Crouch. "I'll leave this to you, Barty."

The teachers gathered around Crouch, waiting for him to make a decision on the matter. Shaye felt like she was going to be sick any second and had closed her eyes to focus on her breathing. This was just supposed to be a quiet year for her. She was just going to keep her head low and focus on her classes.

How could this have happened?

"The rules are absolute," Crouch finally spoke. "The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter and Miss Frazier have no choice. They are, as of tonight, Triwizard champions."

Everyone turned to slowly look at the two young Gryffindors, their eyes piercing and cold. 

"But Harry is my friend." Shaye wrapped her arms around herself as a wave of goosebumps rose on her skin. "I don't want to compete against him."

"And compete against him you won't." Crouch walked over and took the conjoined slips of paper out of Harry's hand. "The two names are stuck together, thus making it one selection. In the eyes of the goblet, this is one champion. Mr. Potter and Miss Frazier must compete together, as a team."

"A team?" Madame Maxime gasped. "Four champions are unheard of but now you are telling us there will be five and two of them will work together? How will this be fair to the other champions?"

Crouch stuffed the parchment into his pocket. "Some adjustments will have to be made, yes, but this is how it must be. I do not make the rules. It is final."

Shaye grabbed onto the edge of the table for support, her knuckles turning white as her knees trembled beneath her. Before long, she had completely zoned out, attempting to fill her mind with happier thoughts.

By the time Shaye had snapped back to reality, she was walking through the dark, empty corridors toward Gryffindor tower with Harry. Harry was watching her carefully, noticing how her face had gone completely white and her eyes seemed to have lost their usual shine.

"You okay?" Harry asked.

Shaye drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, I just . . . you heard what Dumbledore said. 'Extremely dangerous tasks.' I just wanted one danger-free year. Is that too much to ask for?"

Harry smirked. "Apparently. But, hey, at least we have each other, right? Everyone else has to do it alone."

"Everyone else also hates us," Shaye said. "And I honestly don't know why. It's not like we asked for this."

"I think everyone thinks we did."

"Why would anyone in their right mind want this?!"

"Eternal glory." Harry shrugged as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. As he spoke the password and the painting swung open, the two entered the common room.

Shaye and Harry were met with an entire common room full of prying eyes. Nearly every Gryffindor had been waiting for their return and now, they were just staring. No yelling, no accusations, no whispering . . . just staring.

Then, Ron stepped out from the crowd. His eyes were narrowed and his forehead creased. "How did you do it?" he asked. Shaye and Harry didn't know how to answer. Did Ron actually believe they had gone behind his back and put their names in the goblet without telling him? 

"Nevermind. Doesn't matter." Ron huffed. "Might've let your best friends know, though."

Shaye peered over Ron's shoulder and made eye contact with Hermione. Thankfully, she seemed to be the only one who didn't look mad. Confused and maybe a little hurt? Yes. But mad? No. 

"Let you know what?" Harry asked.

"You know bloody well what," Ron retorted. 

"We didn't ask for this to happen, Ron," Shaye told him. "Okay?"

Harry nodded in agreement. "You're being stupid."

"Yeah, that's me," Ron grumbled. "Ron Weasley . . . Harry Potter and Shaye Frazier's stupid friend."

"We didn't put our names in that cup." Harry set the record straight, not only for Ron but for everyone in the room. "We don't want eternal glory. We just want to be . . ." he trailed off. 

"Look, neither one of us knows what happened tonight and we don't know why," Shaye said. "It just did."

Ron just frowned. Turning on his heel, he marched toward the staircase. Before he disappeared up to his dormitory though, he looked back over his shoulder and muttered, "Piss off."

Shaye didn't know what to say or do next. If one of their own best friends didn't believe them, how did they expect anyone else to? Shaye scanned the common room and spotted Fred and George standing in the corner, leaning against the wall. George had the same sort of sour expression on his face. Shaye wouldn't have been surprised if Ron had turned him against Shaye and Harry.

Shaking her head, Shaye pushed her way through the loitering Gryffindors and ran up the steps as well. She could hear Harry behind her doing the same thing, but she didn't bother to turn around. She had nothing left to say for the evening.

Throwing open her dormitory door, Shaye rushed inside and slammed the door behind herself. Wanting more than anything for this day to be over, she went into autopilot and started getting ready for bed.

Just as she was climbing under her covers, Shaye heard the door open and looked over to see Hermione walking in. Her face seemed to have softened a little, but Shaye could still see a hint of uncertainty behind her eyes.

"You really didn't put your name in the goblet?" she asked.

Shaye squished her face into her pillow and sighed. "No," she answered. "You know this isn't what I wanted . . . and even if it were, I would have told you. What could Harry and I possibly have gained from keeping it from you and Ron?"

"I don't know." Hermione's shoulders slumped. "But I believe you. I just don't think anyone else does."

Shaye felt a twinge of warmth in her stomach. "I don't need anyone else. You're my best friend. As long as you believe me, I'll be okay."

"I do," Hermione assured her before a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. "You and Harry are very smart and talented, but neither one of you is nearly powerful enough to have tricked the Goblet of Fire. No offence."

Shaye actually laughed a little. "None taken. For once, I'm glad I've never been labelled 'the smartest witch of my age.'"

"It definitely has its downfalls," Hermione admitted. "But it has its perks too. You're going to get through this and I'm going to help you . . . because that's what best friends are for."


	48. The Gryffindor Glory Team

Squished between Harry and the other champions, Shaye tried her best to plaster the happiest-looking smile on her face that she could. She and Harry were standing side by side in between Cedric and Krum and in front of them, Fleur was posed on a chair. The cameraman counted down from three and as he snapped the picture, the blinding flash from the camera made everyone's eyes burn and the thick plume of smoke made them cough.

Out of the smoke stepped a woman with snow-white skin, short and curly blonde hair, thin glasses perched upon the brim of her nose and bright red lipstick. Her coat was olive green with black fur details and Shaye could already tell she was going to be a handful to deal with.

"What a charismatic quintet," the woman said as she eyed the five well-dressed students in front of her. "Hello. I'm Rita Skeeter." she introduced herself and shook everyone's hand. "I write for the Daily Prophet. But, of course, you know that, don't you? It's you we don't know. You're the juicy news. What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks? What mysteries do the muscles mask?Does courage lie beneath those curls? In short, what makes a champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my rabid readers. So, who's feeling up to sharing?"

Everyone shared an uncomfortable look. When all five Triwizard champions had been told they would be getting some press over the course of the tournament, they had thought that sounded reasonable. What _didn't_ sound reasonable, however, was a photo shoot that took up the majority of their morning and some prying questions from some reporter.

When no one volunteered, Rita picked for herself. "Shall we start with the youngest ones?" she asked no one before grabbed Shaye and Harry by the back of their robes. "Lovely."

Without having any say in the matter, Shaye and Harry were dragged into a nearby broom cupboard that was barely large enough to fit the three of them inside. 

"This is cozy." Rita smiled.

Harry shook his head. "It's a broom cupboard."

"You should feel right at home, then," Rita said as she gestured for Shaye and Harry to have a seat on the window ledge. "Don't mind if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill, do you?"

Shaye had no idea what that was. "No?" she answered.

With that, Rita sat down on a bucket in front of the two Gryffindor students. Beside her, a quill and pad of paper were floating in mid-air. "So, tell me, you two. Here you sit, mere students of 12." the quill scribbled fanatically as she spoke.

"We're 14." Harry corrected.

Rita brushed it off before continuing. "About to compete against three students, not only vastly more emotionally mature than yourselves, but who have mastered spells that you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest daydreams. Concerned?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I haven't really thought about it."

"I suppose it helps that we get to compete together," Shaye said. "Although everyone else seems to think it's unfair."

"Ah, yes, a Triwizard Tournament first. The Gryffindor Glory Team." Rita smiled at her on-the-spot title. "But, of course, you are no ordinary students of 12."

"14." Harry corrected again.

"Your story's legend." Rita looked to Harry and then Shaye. "And the rumour mill never stops turning in regard to your sister, does it? Do you think it was the trauma of your pasts that made you so keen to enter such a dangerous tournament?"

Shaye shook her head. "No, we didn't enter."

"Of course you didn't," Rita smirked and winked. "Everyone loves a couple of rebels." she then turned to the quill. "Scratch that last. So, tell me, do you think the strain of competing together will strengthen or weaken your relationship outside of the tournament? Trouble in paradise? Everyone loves a torrid romance gone awry."

Shaye and Harry froze. They didn't even look at one another. "We're not dating," they said at the same time.

"Do you think you will be after this? The fear of death often brings people together, you know." Rita smiled at Shaye. "What will your parents think if you brought the famous Harry Potter home?"

Shaye didn't even try to answer. 

"What is happening right now?" Harry asked. "We're not together. We're just friends."

"Oh, yes, of course." Rita moved on quickly and looked to Harry next. "Speaking of parents, were yours were alive, how do you think they'd feel? Proud? Or concerned that your attitude shows, at best, a pathological need for attention, and at worst, a psychotic death wish?"

Harry looked over at what the quill was writing down and furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, my eyes aren't 'glistening with the ghosts of my past.'"

"And we do not 'look at each other with a burning passion present behind the expressions of our natural childlike wonder.'" Shaye read from the notepad. "I thought this was supposed to be about the tournament?"

"My readers know about the tournament," Rita explained. "What they don't know about is you. And you two are very interesting indeed."

Feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute, Shaye and Harry suffered through the rest of Rita's prying questions and blatantly false remarks. Eventually, however, she had sucked every last drop of information she could out of the duo and sent them on their way.

When the three other champions noticed the looks of pure bewilderment on Shaye's and Harry's faces after they exited the broom cupboard, they became worried. As they waited to be interrogated by Rita, Shaye and Harry were finally free to go. 

Having had quite enough human interaction for the day, the two split off to spend some time alone and wrap their heads around his whole thing. The concept that they would soon be competing in a series of dangerous tasks in front of the entire school had yet to sink in and Shaye was sure that when it did, she would need some time to process it all. 

Thankfully for Shaye, Hermione was always there to lend a listening ear. Harry was sort of left in the dark when it came to Ron, however, seeing as the foul git was still under the impression that his friends had lied to him. The friend group was crumbling quickly under the stress of the tournament and Shaye thought it felt awfully familiar to what had happened with her family.

In the matter of less than a week, the nightmares had returned in full force. Shaye had trouble sleeping most nights and spent most days exhausted. School, which had once been the only thing on her mind, was now the last. 

What she had hoped to be her calmest year was quickly ramping up to be her most hectic.

Sitting on the red couch in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, Shaye was working well into the night to finish the Charms homework that she had been putting off for days. It was due on Monday and she had only started that evening, which was Saturday. 

The common room was empty since everyone else had gone to sleep already but Shaye barely even bothered to try sleeping anymore. She was beyond exhausted at that point. Running on fumes was her new normal.

Hearing a pair of footsteps padding down the staircase, Shaye looked over her shoulder to see Harry coming down from his dormitory. 

"Hey." Shaye smiled, thankful for an excuse to take a break. "Can't sleep?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm supposed to meet Sirius. Any chance you've seen him?"

Shaye looked around the room to make sure her tired eyes hadn't missed a large man standing in any of the corners. "No, I haven't," she said.

"Okay." Harry walked over to one of the armchairs where that day's issue of the Daily Prophet was sitting. Picking it up, he scanned the front page, which had him and Shaye plastered on the front.

"Don't read it," Shaye told him. "It's horrid."

Harry read the headline anyway. "'The Gryffindor Glory Team: Partners, Friends, or More?'" his face soured. "'Despite being the mere ages of 12, these two Hogwarts students have faced more trauma in their lives than most their age. Relying on their relationship to keep them afloat, will they be able to withstand the stress of the dangers that lie in their near future or will these love-struck kids drown in the deep end?'"

"I told you it was horrid." Shaye sighed as Harry crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the remaining coals of the once roaring fire. 

Just then, the coals began to sputter and red-hot sparks shot up into the air. Standing up from the couch, Shaye moved closer to get a better look. That was when Sirius' face appeared in the embers. 

"Sirius." Harry looked down at his godfather. "How . . .?"

"I don't have much time, Harry, so let me get straight to it," Sirius said. "Did you or did you not put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

Harry shook his head. "No, and Shaye didn't either."

Sirius looked over and noticed that Shaye was there as well. He didn't seem bothered by that. "I had to ask." his voice was lowered to a raspy whisper. "Now, tell me about this dream of yours. You mentioned Wormtail and Voldemort. But who was the third man in the room?"

Harry dropped down to his knees in front of the fireplace. "I don't know," he answered.

"You didn't hear a name?"

"No. Voldemort was giving him a job to do. Something important."

"And what was that?"

"He wanted . . . me," Harry said. "I don't know why. But he was gonna use this man to get to me. But, I mean, it was only a dream, right?"

"Yes. It's just a dream." Sirius didn't sound very convincing. "Look, Harry. The Death Eaters at the World Cup, your name rising from that goblet, these are not just coincidences. Hogwarts isn't safe anymore."

Harry leaned closer. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying the devils are inside the walls. Igor Karkaroff? He was a Death Eater. And no one, no one stops being a Death Eater. Then there's Barty Crouch. Heart of Stone. Sent his own son to Azkaban."

The sound of a door opening upstairs startled both Shaye and Harry.

"Do you think one of them put my name in the goblet?" Harry asked.

"I haven't a clue who put your name in that goblet, Harry, or why they put Miss Frazier's name in too," Sirius said. "But whoever did is no friend to either one of you. People die in this tournament."

Harry swallowed hard and for the first time, he displayed the same fear on the outside that Shaye had been feeling on the inside ever since Dumbledore had called her name. "I'm not ready for this, Sirius."

"You don't have a choice. Either one of you."

Someone could then be heard hurrying down the stairs. "Someone's coming," Harry told Sirius.

"Keep your friends close," Sirius advised both of them before his face disappeared from the embers.

Backing away from the fireplace, Shaye and Harry turned just in time to see Ron descending the steps in his pyjamas and robe. 

"Who are you two talking to?" Ron questioned.

Shaye and Harry looked to one another. "We were talking to each other," Shaye answered.

"I heard three voices." Ron retorted. 

"Maybe you're imagining things." Harry shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Ron scoffed. "You're probably just practising for your next interview, I expect. _The Gryffindor Glory Team._ " he rolled his eyes before stomping back up the stairs. 

"Merlin, I hate that title." Shaye rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. "It's so disgustingly pretentious." 

Harry nodded in agreement. "I'm heading back to bed." he sighed. "You coming?"

"Yeah, in a little bit." Shaye plopped back down into the couch and picked up her Charms homework. "Just gonna finish this first. See you in the morning."

"Yeah, see you in the morning."

Working through her exhaustion, which she had become used to by now, Shaye managed to finish the rest of her school work within half an hour. Having thoroughly pushed herself to her limits, she had tired herself out enough that she was confident a dreamless—or more accurately, a nightmareless—sleep was well within her reach.

Collecting her things, Shaye let out a yawn as she slowly shuffled up the stairs to her dormitory. Her mind set on nothing else but climbing into bed, she had missed the small box sitting in front of the door and had nearly stepped on it. When she finally noticed it, she was about to simply kick it out of the way. That was, until she noticed it was addressed to her.

Bending down, Shaye examined the label on the lid more thoroughly and immediately recognized the messy handwriting as belonging to none other but George Weasley himself. Even Shaye's exhausted brain wasn't dull enough to miss the fact that this was obviously some sort of prank. 

Standing back up, Shaye looked over her shoulder and sure enough, the boys' dormitory door was cracked open and two pairs of Weasley eyes were staring back at her.

Without even a hint of an amused smile at the futile prank attempt, Shaye kicked the box over and watched with a stone-cold expression as the lid popped off and four or five spiders crawled out and scurried into the shadows of the corridor.

"Really?" Shaye deadpanned. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Damnit." George hissed. Fred laughed.

Picking up the now empty box, Shaye chucked it at the door, which the boys closed just in time to avoid being hit. "I told you not to prank me anymore!" Shaye snapped, but that time, a hint of a smile did flash across her lips. 

The twins must not have hated her _that_ much if they were willing to go out of their way to try and prank her. Maybe Ron hadn't tainted their opinions of her and Harry nearly as badly as Shaye had thought.

At least there were two more people who Shaye could count on to avoid giving her dirty looks in passing, even if they were trying to scare her or piss her off at every chance they got.


	49. Fairly Good Does Not a Champion Make

Tilting her head back against the bark of the tree she and Harry were sitting against, Shaye closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath of air. The smell of the lake and the cool breeze blowing through the trees filled her nostrils and the sound of Neville doing whatever it was that he was doing filled her ears.

"Amazing," Neville commented as he observed something he had plucked out of the water. "Amazing." 

Harry looked up from the book resting in his lap and sighed. "Neville. You're doing it again."

"Right, sorry." Neville apologized.

Opening her eyes again, Shaye scanned the various items that Neville had laid out. Neither she nor Harry was exactly sure what it was that he was doing, but they had a hunch it had something to do with Herbology class because he kept inspecting various types of water foliage.

"'Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs?'" Harry read the title of one of Neville's books. 

Neville nodded. "Moody gave it to me. That day we had tea."

"How nice." Shaye took the book from Harry and looked at it. "Little bit of light reading to go with your trauma, sir?"

Harry snickered.

Neville then looked past Shaye and Harry and gave a wave to someone. Turning around, Shaye saw that Hermione, Ron and Ginny were heading toward them. Hermione and Ginny, she was fine with, but she wasn't sure she was in the mood to deal with Ron's foul mood.

"It's already been through enough people," Hermione told Ron. "Why don't you just go and talk to them yourself? Ron, this is your problem, not mine."

Shaye and Harry shared an intrigued look before standing up and taking a few steps closer. Ron whispered something into Hermione's ear and as she walked over to deliver the message, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.

"Ronald would like me to tell you two that Seamus told him that Dean was told by Parvati that Hagrid's looking for you," Hermione said, the cogs in her mind working overtime to remember what she was supposed to say.

"Is that right?" Harry grumbled before Shaye had a chance to decipher the message herself. "Well . . . what?"

Hermione shrugged and walked back to Ron. Ron whispered something to her again and she returned. "Dean was told by Parvati . . . please don't ask me to say it again." Hermione begged. "Hagrid's looking for you."

"What for?" Shaye asked.

"I don't know," Hermione answered.

Harry frowned. "Well, you can tell Ronald-"

"I'm not an owl!" Hermione snapped before storming off with Ginny by her side.

Ron glared at Shaye and Harry for a few seconds before turning and following after them. He peered back over his shoulder once before all three of them disappeared through the trees.

"I'm so sick of this." Shaye folded her arms across her chest. "This needs to end."

"Yeah, but how?" Harry asked.

"I don't know but I'm going to give it a shot." Shaye started through the woods and after the trio that had just left. Spotting their retreating backs among the trees, Shaye shouted for them to wait up and they did.

Hermione and Ginny seemed genuinely interested in what it was that Shaye had to say but Ron, on the other hand, looked simply annoyed at her presence. 

"Listen, Ron, I'm getting really tired of this game you're playing at," Shaye told him matter-of-factly. "I don't know how many times Harry and I need to say this for it to get through your thick skull, but _we did not put our names into that goblet!_ You want eternal glory so bad? Trust me when I say that Harry and I would gladly let you take our places if we could. We don't want this! We're scared! I don't sleep at night. Harry zones out so often thinking about the danger that I sometimes spook him when I speak. And you know what? If you need to stay mad at someone because that's how you truly feel, then stay mad at me . . . but Harry needs you. He needs his best friend. So smarten up and start acting like one before it's too late."

Ron's mouth opened but no words came out. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he sealed his lips and stormed off once more. Shaye, Hermione and Ginny watched him go.

"That was a little harsh," Ginny said.

"Sometimes harsh is the only thing that works," Shaye stated before spinning around and returning to Harry.

Bidding farewell to Neville, who was still wading in the lake, Shaye and Harry headed toward Hagrid's Hut to find out what he wanted to see them about. On the way, Shaye retold the rant she had laid out on Ron. Harry, as opposed to Ginny, didn't think it was harsh at all. 

"Maybe it's the reality check he needs," Harry said. 

"That's what I was hoping." Shaye sighed.

Hagrid, who was watering his garden out front when the two arrived, invited them in for a cup of tea, like always. Thankfully, Hagrid was one of the few people who were truly on Shaye and Harry's side. 

Over a cup of warm, soothing tea, Hagrid told the two students to meet him back at his hut at nightfall and to bring the invisibility cloak. That was all he would say on the matter just then and whenever Shaye or Harry asked a follow-up question, he would quickly change the subject.

So, Shaye and Harry accepted the vague details and followed Hagrid's instructions. As soon as the sky had turned black, the moon had risen and the common room had emptied, they hid underneath the cloak and snuck out of the castle the same way they had done many times before.

Hagrid was waiting for the two outside with his lantern in hand and a large flower pinned to his coat. Something was different about him but Shaye was unable to pinpoint what it was, exactly. Hagrid then began to lead them into the Forbidden Forest, and with no more answered questions than before, Shaye and Harry followed.

"Did you bring your father's cloak, like I asked you?" Hagrid asked Harry.

Harry held up the cloak. "Yeah, I brought the cloak. Hagrid, where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough," Hagrid answered. "Now pay attention, this is important."

"What's with the flower?" Shaye asked. Hagrid didn't say anything.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Hagrid, have you combed your hair."

Shaye craned her neck to look up at Hagrid's head. Just like Harry had said, his hair was combed back and out of his face. Shaye had never seen Hagrid with combed hair before. That was what was different about him.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Hagrid looked down at Harry's messy hair. "You might like to try the same thing now and again."

Just then, a loud, eerie sound echoed through the silent woods. It sounded like a roar from some sort of creature, but even though the woods surrounding Hogwarts was known to be home to many magical beasts, Shaye couldn't be too sure. 

Shaye and Harry kept their heads on a swivel, turning this way and that, but they couldn't see a single thing in the dark, fog-filled woods.

"Hagrid?" a woman's voice with a thick French accent called out.

Hagrid smiled. "Put the cloak on," he told Shaye and Harry before continuing through the bushes and tall grass.

Shaye and Harry were beyond confused but because Hagrid had yet to lead them astray in their three previous years at Hogwarts, they did as he said and hid beneath the cloak. A few meters ahead, Hagrid was approaching a woman so tall that it could only be Madame Maxime.

"Bonsoir, Olympe." Hagrid greeted her. Suddenly, Shaye understood the flower and combed hair.

"Oh, Hagrid." Maxime smiled back. "I thought perhaps you weren't coming. I thought perhaps you had forgotten me."

Hagrid took Maxime's hands in his own. "Couldn't forget you, Olympe."

Harry faked a gag. Shaye jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "It's cute," she told him in a hushed whisper.

Harry shook his head. "It's gross."

"You sound like Ron."

"What is it you wanted to show me?" Maxime asked as she fiddled with the flower on Hagrid's coat. "When we spoke earlier, you sounded so . . . exhilarated."

"You'll be glad you came." Hagrid looked up at Maxime. "Trust me."

Then, with Maxime's hand still in his own, Hagrid led her (and Shaye and Harry) over to a thick wall of bushes. Pushing the foliage aside, Hagrid gestured to the clearing in the distance where five wooden crates sat. Men were shouting and running around and, most jaw-dropping of all, avoiding the flames emerging from said crates.

Shaye and Harry froze in place. Were they really looking at what they thought they were looking at? Were those . . . dragons?

"Can we get closer?" Maxime asked. She was delighted and amazed by the sight.

As Maxime ventured a little closer, Harry stuck his head out of the cloak. "Dragons?!" he exclaimed. "That's the first task? You're joking."

"Come on, Harry." Hagrid sighed as Shaye popped out from the cloak as well. "These are seriously misunderstood creatures."

Just then, the wood panelling on one of the crates fell away, revealing a metal cage and one seriously pissed off dragon inside. Shaye had always known that dragons were huge creatures but never had she imagined them to be _this_ big.

Covered in spikes, the dragon in the cage thrashed its tail around before spitting fire at a passing worker. The fire shot so far that it singed the leaves on the bushes in front of Hagrid.

"Although, I have to admit . . . that Horntail is a right nasty piece of work," Hagrid said. "Poor Ron nearly fainted just seeing him, you know?"

Shaye cocked a brow. "Ron was here?"

Hagrid nodded. "Oh, sure. His brother Charlie helped to bring him over from Romania. Didn't Ron tell you that?"

"No, he didn't," Harry said. "He didn't tell us a thing."

═══════════════

"Dragons, Harry!" Shaye drew in a deep breath. Her heart rate still hadn't returned to normal since she had laid eyes on the great, fire-breathing beast that she would, one way or another, have to battle against.

Harry nodded slowly, indicating that he was partially listening, but his eyes were glued to the many badges that the majority of Hogwarts students were wearing on their robes. One aspect of the button was a bright red background with Cedric's face on it, congratulating him. The other was a foul green-coloured background with Shaye's and Harry's faces that read 'Potter Stinks' and 'Shaye Smells.'

As juvenile as it was, it was getting to Harry. Shaye, on the other hand, was more preoccupied with the fiery death in her near future.

Everywhere that Shaye and Harry went together, people would shout insults at them and glare in their direction. 

"Potter stinks! Shaye smells!" one boy yelled as he passed by. "Cedric rules!"

Trying to get out of the halls, Shaye and Harry tried turning into the courtyard but a group of Hufflepuffs blocked their path, shoving their badges in their faces.

"Excuse me." Harry tried to be polite.

When they still didn't move, Shaye took charge and pushed past the students roughly. At that point, she didn't care if people thought she was nice or not. Public perception wasn't going to save her ass when a thousand-pound dragon was quite literally breathing hot air down her neck.

Harry then led the way over to Cedric. The plan had been to help a fellow Hogwarts student out and warn Cedric in advance about the dragons, although, after the whole badge fiasco, Shaye wasn't so sure she didn't want to see the Hufflepuff boy struggle a little. After all, she and Harry could use all the help they could get.

Cedric, who was lying on a stone bench surrounded by his friends, sat up when he saw the two Gryffindors coming toward him. 

Cedric's friends, like everyone else, started to snicker and poke their badges in their faces. "Hey!" one of the boys laughed. "Read the badge."

"Can we have a word?" Harry requested, doing his best to ignore Cedric's annoying entourage.

"All right." Cedric agreed and followed Shaye and Harry to a quieter spot. 

Harry peered over his shoulder once to make sure no one was listening in before sharing the information. "Dragons," he told Cedric. "That's the first task."

Shaye nodded. "They've got one for each of us."

Cedric's happy smirk faded quickly. "Are you serious?"

"No, we're making it up to trick you." Shaye rolled her eyes. Harry shot her a look. "Yes, we're serious."

"And Fleur and Krum, do they . . .?" Cedric inquired.

Harry nodded. "Yes."

If Madame Maxime had seen the dragons, there was no way that Fleur didn't know about them. And when it came to Igor Karkaroff, Shaye was almost positive there wasn't _anything_ about the tournament that he didn't already know. He just had that sort of look to him.

"Right." Cedric nodded as his friends continued to shout insults at Shaye and Harry. "Hey, listen. About the badges. I've asked them not to wear them, but . . ."

"Don't worry about it." Harry brushed it off. 

With that, Cedric returned to his rowdy friends and Shaye and Harry started back for the corridors. Hearing a strong Irish accent, Shaye looked up to see Seamus and Ron walking in front of them.

Harry's face turned red and Shaye watched as he began to fill with anger at the mere sight of Ron. While Harry had been calm in the face of all of the taunting and Cedric's friends, he wasn't able to keep his cool when it came to Ron and his foolish antics.

Watching Harry speed up toward his former best friend, Shaye hoped that her earlier rant toward Ron would have smartened him up enough to be willing to make amends. She was wrong, however.

"You're a right foul git, you know that?" Harry confronted Ron. 

Ron scowled. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"Anything else?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Stay away from me."

"Fine." Ron agreed before pushing through Shaye and Harry and roughly shoving them with his shoulders.

Shaye huffed. "I think my little speech somehow made him angrier."

"Just forget about him," Harry said. "We've got more important things to worry about."

"Why so tense, Potter?" a familiar voice called from the other side of the courtyard. When Shaye turned around and saw Draco shouting at them from a tree he was sitting in, she had half a mind to grab a textbook out of her bag and throw it at his stupid face.

Harry didn't even make eye contact. With dragons and Ron and the whole school against them, the last thing either one of them needed was to deal with Draco.

Draco, however, wasn't giving up. "My father and I have a bet, you see. I don't think you and your girlfriend are going to last 10 minutes in this tournament. He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five."

Jumping out of the tree, Draco was flanked by Crabbe, Goyle and two other Slytherin boys. The five of them let out a series of hearty chuckles. 

"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy!" Harry was fuming by now, what with having just faced Ron. With his anger fueling him, he marched right up to Draco and shoved him. "He's vile and cruel. And you're just pathetic."

Shaye opened her mouth to add something, but Harry had pretty much covered all of the bases already. So, she nodded approvingly and the two of them turned to leave.

"Pathetic?" Draco sneered as he drew his wand. Before he could do anything, however, Mad-Eye popped in from seemingly nowhere and saved the day.

"Oh, no you don't, sonny!" Mad-Eye flicked his wand and with a burst of golden light, Draco transformed into a white ferret. "I'll teach you to curse someone when their back is turned."

Shaye and Harry stood their, jaws dropped and full of amusement as Mad-Eye marched over and began using his wand to move the ferret around in the air, almost the same way as he had controlled the spider with the Imperius Curse. 

"You stinking, cowardly, scummy, back-shooting . . ." Mad-Eye was quickly drawing a crowd.

"Professor Moody!" McGonagall ran over. "What are you doing."

Mad-Eye smirked. "Teaching."

McGonagall took a closer look at the pale ferret and gasped. "Is that a . . . is that a student?"

"Technically, it's a ferret." Mad-Eye pulled on the waistband of Crabbe's trousers and shoved the ferret down them. 

Everyone, including Cedric and his friends, laughed loudly as Goyle tried to smack the ferret out of Crabbe's pants. The ferret then bit Goyle on the hand and he jumped back. 

Turning around, Mad-Eye gave an inconspicuous wink in Shaye and Harry's direction. They both grinned wide. This was, by far, the best thing they had seen all week long and for a brief moment in time, they forgot all about the tournament and the dragons and Ron's foul mood.

As the ferret crawled out of Crabbe's pantleg, McGonagall took control of the situation and quickly turned the animal back into Draco. As soon as Draco was back, he jumped up off of the ground and let out a screech. His hair was dishevelled and he looked pretty worse for wear, not that he didn't deserve it though.

"My father will hear about this!" Draco shot at Mad-Eye.

Mad-Eye lunged after him and began chasing him around the tree. "Is that a threat?" he demanded.

"Professor Moody!" McGonagall called.

Mad-Eye stopped in his tracks, giving Draco just enough time to run off screaming. "I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy!" Mad-Eye yelled after him. "It doesn't end here!"

"Alastor!" McGonagall frowned at her colleague. "We never use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you that."

Mad-Eye hung his head slightly. "He might've mentioned it."

"Well, you will do well to remember it." McGonagall jabbed her wand in his face before turning on her heel and shooing away the crowd that had gathered.

With her back turned to him, Mad-Eye stuck his tongue out like a child. "You." he then turned to Shaye and Harry. "Come with me."

The smiles on Shaye's and Harry's faces disappeared fast. Worried that they were next to be turned into ferrets, they cautiously followed Mad-Eye as he limped through the corridors. Eventually, they made it to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom where Mad-Eye ushered them into his office.

Slipping his coat off, Mad-Eye let out a groan as he took a seat, rolled up his pant leg and removed his fake leg. Shaye tried not to stare too much, but she hadn't known the professor had lost his leg and was curious about it. Harry was too busy looking at the many large magnifying glasses that decorated the office to notice much.

"That's a Foe-Glass." Mad-Eye gestured to the large glass object on his desk. "Lets me keep an eye on my enemies. If I can see the whites of their eyes, their standing right behind me."

As he let out a wicked laugh, a trunk in the corner of the room began to rumble and jolt about. Shaye swore she heard a faint scream. All of a sudden, a feeling that this office might be the place where she drew her last breath washed over her.

"Wouldn't even bother telling you what's in there," Mad-Eye said. "You wouldn't believe it if I did. Now . . . what are you two going to do about your dragons?"

Shaye and Harry looked to each other and shrugged lazily. They had discussed some strategy, but the fear of dying a horrible death usually distracted them before they came up with any sort of solid plan of action.

Mad-Eye pulled out two stools and slid them in front of himself. "Sit," he ordered.

Without much of a choice, Shaye and Harry did as they were told and took a seat. 

"Listen to me." Mad-Eye exhaled slowly. "Your pal Diggory? By your guys' age, he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing you the time. Miss Delacour? She's as much a fairy princess as I am. As for Krum, his head may be filled with sawdust, but Karkaroff's is not. They'll have a strategy. And you can bet that it will play to Krum's strengths. So, what are your strengths?"

"I don't know," Harry answered first. "Well, I can fly. I mean, I'm a fair flyer."

Mad-Eye nodded enthusiastically. "Better than fair, the way I heard it."

"But I'm not allowed a broom," Harry said.

"You're allowed a wand."

It took Harry a few seconds to catch on to what Mad-Eye was trying to say, but when he did, he smiled wide. 

Mad-Eye then turned to Shaye. "Now, with two dragons in that arena, it'll be tight. You will both need to play smart to pull it off. What is your strength?"

Shaye thought for a moment. "Well, I'm nowhere near as good a flyer as Harry, so I can't use a broom too. I'm fairly good at Transfiguration."

Mad-Eye scoffed. "Fairly good does not a champion make. Come on, dig deep."

"Care of Magical Creatures," Harry said. "Shaye is great at working with creatures. Hagrid says she's a natural."

"I rode a hippogriff one time." Shaye shook her head. "I don't see how that's going to help me."

Mad-Eye simply leaned back in his chair and smiled knowingly. "I do."


	50. The First Task

It was pandemonium in its truest form.

The stadium that had been built in the mountains on the outskirts of school property was jam-packed full of students. It would most definitely not have been an over-exaggeration to say that every single student was present.

Standing in the champions' tent with Harry and the three other competitors, Shaye tried her best to drown out the chanting and cheering and focus on the strategy that she and Mad-Eye had discussed. While Mad-Eye had complete and utter faith in the plan, Shaye still felt as though it was going to require an almost perfect execution and immense amounts of luck to work; there were just too many things that could go wrong.

Walking over to the edge of the tent, Shaye pulled back the entrance flap and watched as students flooded into the stadium. Among the crowd was Fred and George, who had decided to set up a betting ring on who would survive the fiery danger awaiting the five champions. 

"Smart money's on Krum to survive!" the twins shouted. "Place your bets here!"

Letting the flap fall shut, Shaye stepped back, closed her eyes and drew in a long, deep breath. "I think I'm going to be sick," she said. Harry nodded in agreement; his face was pale with a hue of green that matched Shaye.

Flattening out the non-existent wrinkles on her red, gold and black hoodie that matched Harry's—the only difference being that her's had Frazier written on the back and Harry's had Potter—Shaye ran through the plan over and over again in her head. Harry, who was doing the same, shook his hands nervously.

The tent had five separate rooms in it, each providing a bed and privacy to the champions, but no one was nearly calm enough to sit or even, Merlin forbid, sleep. Cedric, Krum and Fleur paced back and forth as well, and while they seemed to hide their fear a little better than Shaye and Harry, it was comforting to know that they were also frightened of what was to come.

All five of them knew about the dragons and by the end of the day, all five of them would have fought one. Whether they survived or not . . . well, that was to be determined.

" _Your attention, please._ " Shaye heard Dumbledore's voice booming throughout the stadium. The rowdy crowd quieted down. One of the dragons let out a spine-chilling growl. " _This is a great day for all of us. Each of the three tasks involves very considerable danger. Please keep your seats at all times. This will minimize any risks you may be exposed to. I'm sure we all wish our champions the greatest of luck._ "

"We're going to die out there." a stark realization washed over Shaye like a tidal wave. "A ball of flame is going to be the last thing I ever see on this earth and then my scorched remains will be sprawled out for the entire school to see."

Harry's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You need to stop thinking of worst-case scenarios. It's only going to make things worse."

"I don't think that anything could possibly get any worse."

"We're going to be okay." Harry wrapped his arms around Shaye and squeezed her tight. "We've survived worse before. We can do this."

For the first time that day, Shaye felt like she was able to breathe easily. She was forever grateful that she had Harry by her side for all of this because she knew that if she had to do this alone, she would get lost in her own fear and lose herself in the tournament.

Shaye rested her head on Harry's shoulder and sighed. "Thank you," she told him.

Just then, there was a bright flash of light followed by a plume of smoke. Pulling away from one another, Shaye and Harry looked over to see Rita Skeeter and her cameraman standing in the tent's entrance.

"Young love." Rita gushed and looked to her floating quill and notepad. "How . . . stirring. If everything goes unfortunately today, you two may even make the front page."

Shaye felt the nervous energy inside of her quickly melt away to make room for the bubbling rage. If there was one thing she hated more than this tournament as a whole, it was Rita Skeeter and her prying questions and false headlines.

It was then that Hermione walked into the tent. It was obvious she had come to wish Shaye and Harry good luck, but after noticing Rita and the perplexed looks on the champions' faces, she remained silent. 

"You have no business here. This tent is for champions . . ." Krum approached Rita while glancing toward Hermione. " . . . and friends."

Rita smirked and looked down at her notepad. "No matter. We've got what we wanted."

With that, the cameraman snapped one last shot of Krum, Cedric and Fleur before following Rita out of the tent.

Once the rude reporter was gone, Hermione turned to Shaye and Harry. "I just wanted to wish you luck," she said. "The key is to concentrate. After that, you just have to . . ."

"Battle a dragon." Harry finished. Hermione nodded.

Hermione, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, then pulled Shaye and Harry in for a tight, bone-crushing hug. "Oh, please be careful out there," she whispered. 

"We will try our very best," Shaye said.

As Hermione finally released her two friends, Dumbledore, along with a few other teachers, entered the tent. "Good day, champions. Gather around, please." Dumbledore motioned for everyone to come in close. "Now, you've waited, you've wondered, and at last, the moment has arrived. A moment only five of you can fully appreciate."

Dumbledore looked around at the five champions, his eyes settling on Hermione after a while. "What are you doing here, Miss Granger."

"Sorry." Hermione excused herself. "I'll just go."

As Hermione flashed one final comforting smile to Shaye and Harry, she exited the tent and left to join the other students in the stands.

"Barty, the bag." Dumbledore moved aside to make room for Crouch.

"Champions, in a circle around me." Crouch drew a black bag from his robes. He then turned to the person on his right, Fleur, and held the bag open. "Now, Miss Delacour, if you will."

Slowly, Fleur reached into the bag. She recoiled once but eventually pulled out a small green dragon. With the small creature in her hand, she looked up reassuringly at Madame Maxime. Maxime stared at the dragon, her expression showing no signs of confidence or worry.

"The Welsh Green," Crouch announced before moving to the next person in the rotation, Krum. 

Without hesitation, Krum shoved his hand into the steaming bag and withdrew a rather nasty looking little dragon. Igor eyed the dragon with skepticism, trying to decide if it was a good draw or not. 

"The Chinese Fireball," Crouch said. "Ooh."

Cedric was next and when he opened his hand, a yellow-ish dragon with a small snout flapped its wings. 

"The Swedish Short-Snout." Crouch smiled. He then placed the bag in front of Harry and Shaye.

Together, the teammates stuck their hands into the bag. Shaye felt something sharp touch her palm and immediately pulled back before moving her fingers to the other side of the bag. Feeling something leathery, she clasped her hand around it and drew her hand out of the bag.

Once Shaye and Harry had both selected their dragons, they unclasped their hands to reveal which beast they had unknowingly chosen for themselves.

"The Horntail." Harry looked down at his dragon. It was the same spiky creature that he and Shaye had seen while in the Forest with Hagrid. Even in miniature form, the spikes that ran from the top of the dragon's head, down its spine and to the tip of its tail were intimidating. 

For a second, Shaye felt relieved that she hadn't chosen that one, but then she remembered that whether she wanted to or not, she would most likely have to face-off with the Horntail one way or another. The arena was only so large and she was bound to run into it eventually.

"The Hungarian Horntail." Crouch smiled at the small dragon before turning to Shaye. "Which leaves you with the Peruvian Vipertooth."

Looking down at the dragon in her hand, Shaye noticed that it was slightly smaller than the rest. She knew, however, that this was not a reason to let her guard down at all. In preparation for the first task, Shaye had done as much reading about as many different dragons as possible. The Vipertooth was unforgettable.

While the Vipertooth was the smallest dragon in existence, it was also easily one of the most deadly. They were incredibly stealthy and had an unmatched hunger for human flesh. And as if that wasn't bad enough, they were the fastest of all dragons and their fangs were venomous.

Suddenly, Shaye was jealous of Harry for getting the Horntail.

"These represent five very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect," Crouch explained. "Your objective is simple. Collect the egg. This you must do, for each egg contains a clue, without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next task. Any questions?"

No one said a word. In reality, there were probably a ton of questions mulling about the five champions' heads, but no one was in the mood to do any more talking than necessary. 

"Very well." Dumbledore nodded. "Good luck, champions. Mr. Diggory, at the sound of the cannon, you may-"

Dumbledore was cut off by the sound of the cannon going off. The entire tent shook and the crowd in the stadium began to shout and cheer. Filch, who had accidentally lit the fuse too early, smiled sheepishly. 

Without a second more to mentally or physically prepare, Cedric stepped out into the stadium to the sound of the crowd chanting his name and just like that, the first task had begun.

It wasn't long after that, that the sound of a very angry dragon echoed through the stadium. The reverberation shook the ground and the four remaining champions shared a startled look. There were screaming and gasps from the crowd, followed by the occasional dragon growl and ominous noise that could have meant anything, really.

Sitting on the edge of the bed with Harry, Shaye's leg bounced up and down and she held her head in her hands. Like before, she tried to tune out the sounds around her, but they were too loud and too consuming. 

After Cedric, Fleur stepped out into the stadium for her turn. More of the same nerve-wracking sounds ensued and it became unclear to Shaye if not being able to see what was happening made her more or less nervous.

After Fleur was Krum, which left just Shaye and Harry in the tent. The tension was so thick in the air that Shaye swore it was getting harder and harder to breathe. 

"Two dragons, one egg," Harry spoke softly. "We can do this. We've fought the Dark Lord and a horde of spiders and a Basilisk. Just two dragons."

"Yeah." Shaye felt a spark of confidence light inside of her. "It's just two dragons."

The spark fizzled out soon after, however, when Krum's challenge came to an end and Dumbledore's voice echoed through the stadium.

_"Three of our champions have now faced their dragons, and so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now our final contestants. You've heard them so named The Gryffindor Glory Team: Harry Potter and Shaye Frazier."_

"This is it." Harry stood from the bed and held his hand out to Shaye.

Shaye took his hand and stood to her wobbly feet. "This is it."

Walking out of the tent side-by-side, the two fourth-years dressed in their house colours strode into the arena with as much confidence as they could possibly exude. The crowd chanted their names, for once making it seem as though they weren't universally hated by the entire school.

The arena was filled with large rocks and stone ledges, resembling the mountains that the dragons called home back where they were from. Surprisingly, Shaye found the arena to be a tad smaller than she had expected, which didn't bode well considering the fact that this time around, there would be two dragons instead of one.

Above the arena, wooden stands stood tall, filled to the brim with excited students. Banners and posters of all kinds hung from the railings and for some reason, some of them even had Harry's and Shaye's names on them.

"Guess we have some fans after all." Shaye breathed out, her hand tightening around her wand.

Harry swallowed hard. "Guess so."

Standing just in front of the entrance, Shaye and Harry began to observe the arena. The chanting and shouting died down and with an eerie silence falling over the stadium, they searched for the golden egg they were supposed to retrieve.

"Over there." Shaye pointed to the other side of the arena where a golden egg the size of a large football sat among a pile of rocks. Just behind the egg, a red tail was sticking out from behind a large boulder. "The Vipertooth is there too."

"Just stick to the plan and we'll be all right," Harry said, and with that, he started forward toward the egg.

Harry didn't even manage to take three steps before a giant spike tail swung down from above and crashed into the rocks beside him. The entire crowd jumped to their feet and as the tail swung at Harry again, he dove off of the ledge he had been standing on and tumbled to the bottom of the arena.

Letting out a ground-trembling roar, the Horntail glared down at Harry from its perch before opening its fanged mouth and shooting flames at Harry. Harry managed to dive out of the way just in time to avoid being incinerated. 

"Go for the egg!" Harry shouted at Shaye. 

Shaye peered up at the Horntail above her, thankful that it had yet to notice her, and waited for the right moment. As the dragon descended its perch toward Harry, the chain around its neck that kept it from flying out of the arena hanging low, Shaye waited until its attention was solely on Harry before taking her chance.

Repeating the plan that she, Harry and Mad-Eye had gone over at least fifty times, Shaye bolted out of the cave-like entrance and slid down the rock ledge. With the Horntail completely focused on trying to smash Harry with its tail, she tuned out the sounds of rock smashing and students screaming and darted through the maze of boulders. 

The golden egg was within her sight and after scaling the jagged side of the ledge where the egg sat, Shaye felt for a brief second that this challenge might not be as hard as she had originally feared. That was until she stepped up to the egg and she spotted the copper-coloured Vipertooth tail sliding along the ground out of the corner of her eye.

The tail slowly slithered out of sight and behind the large boulder. Seconds later, the sound of chain rattling filled Shaye's eardrums and a single talon-filled claw grasped the top of the boulder. After that, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

The Vipertooth climbed atop the rock and towered over the small, trembling student. Even though it was clear to see that the Vipertooth was smaller than the Horntail, it certainly wasn't any less terrifying to be face-to-face with.

Its body was covered in red-ish copper, smooth scales while black scales ran along its spine and down its tail. Its tail was certainly a lot less deadly than the Horntail's, but that was where the comparison of terror ended.

The pictures in Shaye's book did little justice compared to the real thing. Despite being the smallest of the dragon species, the Vipertooth still stood like a giant in front of Shaye. Its face resembled a lizard in some ways, but the horns atop its head, sharp teeth and pools of black for eyes made it look like it had crawled out of the deepest, darkest, most evil hole in the entire world.

Shaye took a small step back, the sound of Harry fighting for his life behind her and the crowd reacting in turn slowly fading away. Soon, the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

The Horntail shot out another ball of fire at Harry and Shaye could feel the heat on her back, but never once did she turn around. She didn't dare turn her back on the Vipertooth for even a second. 

"Your wands!" Hermione could be heard shouting from the stands. "Use your wands!"

" _Accio_ Firebolt!" Harry put phase one of the plan into action. He then darted around a rock for cover, and as the Horntail shot fire at him once more, he waited until the time was right before leaping out from behind his hiding place and jumping onto his broom.

Shaye heard the crowd go wild and seconds later, Harry was swooping over her head toward the egg. He was unable to catch it, however, and while the Vipertooth was distracted by him and snapping at the end of his broom, Shaye ducked behind cover as well, hoping the Vipertooth hadn't seen where she had gone so she had the element of surprise on her side.

That was when everything went very, very wrong.

As Harry soared high into the sky so he could loop back around to distract the Vipertooth again, the Horntail managed to break free of the chain keeping it grounded in the arena. The spectators gasped as the Horntail took to the skies after Harry, leaving him no choice but to fly out of the arena altogether.

The Horntail, in pursuit, smashed part of the stand with its tail, sending shards of wood flying into the crowd. 

"Well done, dragon!" Fred and George exclaimed.

Before long, Harry and the Horntail were out of sight. They had headed in the direction of the castle, but their exact whereabouts were unknown. That was when all heads turned toward Shaye, who along with the Vipertooth, were the only ones left in the arena with the egg.

Seeing as how the plan had gone so terribly awry so fast, Shaye had to change things up on the spot a little. With the students now chanting her name over and over as encouragement, Shaye shook her wand hand a little to loosen up before jumping out from behind her cover.

The Vipertooth was still standing guard over the golden egg, but now its back was turned. Shaye had one chance and one chance only to make this work. She drew in a deep breath and with the eyes of every onlooker glued to her, she swallowed her fear.

"Hey, over here!" Shaye shouted, fighting against every single one of her instincts that told her to stay silent and hidden. The Vipertooth, of course, turned around at the sound. As soon as it did, it opened its mouth and began to lunge. Before it got to her, however, Shaye lifted her wand and shouted, " _Lumos Maxima!_ "

A bright white light shot out of the end of Shaye's wand and the Vipertooth immediately recoiled and let out a screech. The crowd gasped. Thanks to her extensive knowledge and skill when it came to Care of Magical Creatures (that Mad-Eye insisted she use), Shaye knew that most of a dragon's exterior was impenetrable by many spells. Their eyes, however, were their weakest parts.

With the Vipertooth turned away once again, temporarily blinded by the bright light, Shaye now relied on the extra hours of Transfiguration and Conjuration practice that she had done with McGonagall. 

" _Incarcerous._ " Shaye pointed her wand at the Vipertooth and crossed her fingers. This Conjuration spell was highly advanced and she had only gotten it to work five times out of ten when practicing in a classroom. 

With wide eyes, Shaye watched as the thick ropes shot out of her wand, binding the Vipertooth's feet together and tying its mouth shut. With a small stream of flames and steam shooting from the dragon's nose, it toppled over and slid down the side of the rocks.

Shaye couldn't believe her eyes. The stadium erupted into applause and cheering. The Vipertooth let out a few grunts and squeals, but the ropes weren't budging. Step by step, Shaye approached the golden egg. A hush fell over the stadium, everyone watching and waiting for Shaye to secure the victory her herself and Harry.

That was when a blood-curdling roar and a boy's scream echoed through the air, originating from the direction in which Harry and the Horntail had disappeared in. Shaye felt her heart drop. 

Knowing she had a decision to make, Shaye looked at the castle's faint outline in the foggy distance and then back down at the egg by her feet. She then stepped to the edge of the rock ledge and looked down at the Vipertooth lying on the ground. The dragon was writhing and trying to break free but it was having no such luck.

"Grab the egg!" someone screamed, breaking the silence.

Realization flooded Shaye and she knew what she had to do. Was it going to be stupid and dangerous? Yes. Was there a big possibility the plan was going to backfire and she was going to face that fiery death she so greatly feared? Most definitely. Did she still have to do it? Yes. Why? Because Harry would do the same for her.

Shaye took one last look at the egg and knew that she didn't want to take it unless she was doing it with Harry by her side. Then, she jumped off of the ledge and down beside the seriously pissed-off dragon.

"What is she doing?" another voice came from the stands. No one could see where Shaye was or what she was doing, but man, did she have a surprise for them.

Shaye had to duck and dodge the Vipertooth's tail. Then, as slow and carefully as possible, she resorted to the original plan that had been shut down in a matter of seconds on account of being much too dangerous. With her empty hand, Shaye placed it palm down on the dragon's scaled side and slowed her own breathing, hoping her own calm demeanour would encourage the dragon to relax a little.

Then, with her other hand gripping her wand tight, she muttered, " _Accio_ enchanted bridle."

The bridle that Shaye had read so much about in Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them appeared in her hand. Newt was the most famous magical creature tamer in the world and he had used this very bridle to tame a Kelpie once. The bridle was then passed down to Dumbledore and in turn, Hagrid, who had kept it in a dusty box for many years, nearly forgotten about.

Hagrid had mentioned the bridle once before in passing and thus, Shaye's moronic and suicidal plan had formed. 

"Please don't kill me," Shaye begged as she slipped the bridle over the Vipertooth's head. Then, with the very blood-chilling knowledge that everything could go horribly wrong in a matter of seconds, Shaye removed the ropes binding the dragon's snout and feet.

Instantly, the dragon clambered to its feet and a projectile of flames and hot steam erupted from its nostrils. The stadium let out a collective gasp, unable to see anything except the flames. Before the Vipertooth had the chance to kill her or she had the chance to back out of the plan, Shaye grabbed hold of the beast's neck and pulled herself up onto its back. 

"You've ridden a hippogriff," Shaye told herself over and over again as the dragon rebelled against her control and reared onto its hind legs. "I'm not going to hurt you," she tried to soothe the Vipertooth, but for the most part, it didn't seem to be working.

Then, in a surge of power, the Vipertooth jumped back up onto the ledge and Shaye had to grip the reins for dear life to stay on. It let out a great roar and tried to throw Shaye from its back and suddenly, all eyes were back on Shaye.

Dumbfounded, the crowd watched as the insane fourth-year girl clung to the dragon's neck, somehow evading being thrown no matter how hard the dragon thrashed. 

"I'm not going to hurt you!" Shaye squeezed her legs tight to keep herself in place and tugged on the reins hard, gaining control back. 

At once, the bridle shone gold and sparkled. Every muscle in the Vipertooth relaxed in unison and the dragon fell still upon the rocky ledge, unrebelling and cooperative. It took Shaye a second to realize that she had pulled the asinine plan off, but when she did, a wide grin spread across her face.

Just like with the hippogriff, she had been terrified at first, but now she was nothing but confident.

This time, no one in the stands said a word. Breaking the chains around the dragon's neck, Shaye loosened the reins a little and gave a light squeeze with her legs. In the blink of an eye, the dragon was taking off into the sky and listening to Shaye's every command.

"Let's go save Harry," Shaye said to herself and the dragon, the crowd going crazy as they watched her take off on the back of a dragon.

Shaye steered the Vipertooth in the direction of the castle, and as the fog began to clear a little and they got closer, she spotted the Horntail scaling the roof of the castle toward where Harry was hanging from the edge, his broom just out of his reach.

"Harry!" Shaye called to him.

Harry adjusted his grip on the roof and looked back over his shoulder, his eyes widening when he spotted the second dragon coming toward him. He relaxed when he noticed Shaye controlling said second dragon, however.

Unsure of how, exactly, she was going to save Harry, Shaye pulled back on the bridle's reins and the Vipertooth slowed toward the roof of the castle before touching down between Harry and the Horntail. The Vipertooth's talons dug deep into the shingles of the roof, pulling many of them off in the process. 

Once the Vipertooth had a good grip on the rooftop, Shaye jumped down from its back and held her arms out to her side to keep her balance. Looking back at the quickly approaching Horntail every few seconds, she carefully but quickly made her way across the roof and held a hand out for Harry to grab.

Harry's fingertips hovered inches away from Shaye's and in a literal leap of faith, he heaved himself upwards and let go of the edge altogether. His hand clamped around Shaye's tight and she nearly tumbled off the roof with him but managed to steady herself at the last second.

Grabbing his Firebolt on the way up, Harry began gulping air, clearly exhausted from having hung from the roof for so long. "You came for me." he gasped and eyed the Vipertooth. "Riding a dragon, no less."

"We're in this together," Shaye told him. "We either get that egg together or die a fiery death together."

Harry smirked, but the happy moment was cut short when the Horntail let out a screech and smashed the roof next to them with its tail. The Vipertooth reared and flapped its wings, ready to abandon the two students in order to save itself.

"Come on!" Shaye grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him back across the roof. The two of them mounted the Vipertooth without a single second to spare, and as the Vipertooth took off, the Horntail opened its large mouth and flames shot out at them, just barely missing them.

With a grip so tight on the reins that her knuckles were turning white, Shaye steered toward the stadium. The Horntail, however, had a different idea. The larger dragon swooped down in front of the Vipertooth, nearly dive-bombing it out of the air. 

"What now?!" Harry asked. His Firebolt was in one hand and his other was gripping onto the back of Shaye.

"I have no-" Shaye started but stopped herself when she spotted the bridge that led from the school to Hagrid's hut in the distance. "Actually, I have one idea. Hang on tight!"

With the Horntail ascending again to make another swipe at the smaller dragon and its two riders, Shaye directed the Vipertooth toward the bridge and its small, intricate design work on the sides. 

The Horntail was hot on their heels as they reached the bridge, but thanks to the small stature of the Vipertooth, it managed to soar right through the pillars on the side of the bridge. The Horntail, who was much too large to fit through the bridge, tried to go over at the last minute and ended up crashing into it and colliding its head with the hard material. Chunks of stone crumbled away from the bridge and, along with the knocked-out dragon, fell into the foggy abyss below. 

"I can't believe that worked!" Harry laughed.

"I can't believe any of this worked!" Shaye smiled wide.

With that, the two returned to the stadium filled with worried students and teachers. As soon as they cleared the mountain in the distance and were in view again, the spectators jumped to their feet for the final time that day and began cheering and clapping and shouting.

Bringing the Vipertooth to a swift and gentle landing into the arena, Shaye gave it a few thankful pats for not killing her earlier. Then, with grins that stretched from ear to ear, Shaye and Harry slid down from the dragon's back, collected the egg together and held it high for everyone to see.

Despite how many times they should have died, the Gryffindor Glory Team had survived the first task of the Triwizard Tournament; and they put on a really good show in the process. 


	51. Rita Skeeter and Her Wretched Writing

Holding the golden egg high above their heads, Shaye and Harry spun around so everyone in the Gryffindor common room could see. The gathered crowd encircling the two champions cheered and applauded, proving that all it took to get back into an entire school's good graces again was to battle a couple of dragons and come out the other side in one piece.

Sure, Shaye and Harry had a few scrapes and were bruised up here and there, but they had managed to avoid the fiery death that they had so feared.

"Yes!" Fred and George swooped in and lifted Harry up onto their shoulders, raising the egg even higher in the process. Shaye stepped back and laughed. 

"Know you wouldn't die," George said. "Lose a leg."

"Or an arm," Fred added.

"Pack it in altogether? Never!"

Shaye chuckled as she took the egg from Harry and passed it around the room for everyone to get a closer look. "All right, you two." Shaye swatted Fred and George. "Put him down."

"Looks like she's coming to your rescue yet again." Fred taunted as he and George put Harry back down on the ground. "Princess Harry and his dragon-riding knight."

The entire common room burst out into laughter. 

"I still can't believe you rode a Vipertooth!" Neville exclaimed. "It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen!"

With that, various people started shouting compliments at Shaye; most of them about how awesome it was when the dragon had climbed into sight with her on its back. A million questions followed, a majority of them asking if she had been scared or not.

Shaye wasn't sure how to answer, exactly. She was sure that somewhere deep down inside of her, there had been fear, but at that moment in time, the only thing she was thinking about was making sure Harry was okay.

"Shaye Frazier, the dragon rider!" Dean branded her. Shaye felt her cheeks turn red hot.

"Shush!" Seamus quieted down the group as he got his hands on the golden egg. "Go on." he handed the egg back to Shaye and Harry. "What's the clue?"

"Who wants us to open it?" Harry asked. 

"Yes!" the entire common room erupted.

Harry smirked. Clearly, he was having too much fun with this. "Do you want us to open it?" he asked again.

"Yes!"

"Okay, enough messing around." Shaye placed her hand atop the golden egg and, along with Harry, twisted the star-shaped detail.

With a metallic _clang_ , the egg opened into three equal segments and a brilliant golden hue shone out. Along with the golden hue, however, a terrible, ear-bleeding screech was emitted as well. Everyone in the room threw their hands over their ears and scrunched their faces in pain. Even the portraits on the walls reacted badly.

Acting fast, Harry took the egg into his hands and closed it back up again. The entire room sighed in relief when the horrible sound stopped but quite a few of them still had a faint ringing in their ears.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron inquired.

Shaye and Harry looked up at the redhead with skepticism. Neither one of them had seen or spoken to him since that day in the courtyard and although he had been present in the stands for the first task, he had been absent for the majority of the celebration thus far.

The room fell silent as the three feuding friends stared at one another, unsure what to say or if now was even the right time to say it.

"All right, everyone! Go back to your knitting," George said. "This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosy sods listening in."

As the crowd thinned and everyone went back to doing their own thing, Ron slowly approached Shaye and Harry. There was a look of sheepish regret plastered on his face and it finally looked like he was ready to make amends.

"I reckon you have to be barking mad to put your own name in the Goblet of Fire," Ron said. 

"Caught on, have you?" there was still some disdain dripping from Harry's tone. "Took you long enough."

Ron shrugged. "I wasn't the only one who thought you'd done it. Everyone was saying it behind your backs."

Shaye scoffed. "Yeah, we know . . . not that that makes us feel any better."

Ron smirked. "At least I warned you about the dragons."

Harry furrowed his brows. "Hagrid warned us about the dragons."

"No, no, no, I did." Ron corrected. "No, don't you remember? I told Hermione to tell you guys that Seamus told me that Parvati told Dean that Hagrid was looking for you. Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along. I thought we'd be all right, you know . . . after you two had figured that out."

Harry's face flushed with confusion. "Who . . . who could possibly figure that out? That's completely mental."

Ron chuckled. "Yeah. Isn't it?"

"Just a little though." Shaye smiled.

"I suppose I was a bit distraught," Ron confessed. 

"I suppose being a bit distraught is okay." Shaye pulled the two boys in for a quick hug, overjoyed that they had finally made up. "And Ron, I'm sorry if I was a little harsh with you before. I was feeling a lot of things . . . fear for my life being the frontrunner . . . and I took it out on you a little."

Ron shook his head. "I deserved it."

"Yeah, you did." Shaye agreed before turning to the rest of the Gryffindors who, although they were supposed to be doing their own thing, were eavesdropping anyway. "Now let's ramp this celebration back up because I rode a bloody dragon today!"

The common room once again erupted into cheering and applause. While Harry and Ron wandered off to catch up some more since there were about a billion things they wanted to tell each other now that they were back on speaking terms, Shaye enjoyed the happy Gryffindors from one of the comfy armchairs that she had been waiting to sink into ever since she had woken up that morning.

Before she knew it, Shaye had gotten lost in her thoughts. She remembered the pure adrenaline that had been coursing through her when she and Harry had dismounted that Vipertooth and grabbed the golden egg and the way she had felt being in control of such a large and dangerous creature.

The way the dragon's dark eyes stared deep into her soul, the power to kill her rushing through its entire body, but yet, it didn't. It was like how she had felt on Buckbeak's back, only multiplied by ten times. It was the most incredible thing she had ever done and the only thing she wanted to do was tell her father about it. 

"You look like you've got something on your mind."

Shaye snapped out of her trance and looked up to see George sitting on the chair's armrest. She smiled weakly. "Yeah . . . my dad."

"Oh." George's usual cheerful smirk faded.

The next thing Shaye knew, she was being shoved over and George was squishing himself into the single-person armchair with her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, George gave her a squeeze. 

"I don't know how you can possibly be bummed out when you single-handedly pulled off the most incredible thing I have ever seen today," George said. "For the first time, I wasn't cheering for the dragon."

Shaye couldn't help but laugh. "I hope you lost all of the money that people bet against Harry and me."

George nodded. "Yeah, most of it . . . but I got back the money that I personally bet on you and then some."

"You bet on Harry and me?" Shaye gushed. "Awh."

"Nah, just you."

That time, Shaye didn't have to feign flattery. She felt a warmth spread in her chest and a genuine, happy smile spread across her lips. "Thanks," she said and rested her head on George's shoulder. "You know, you can be really kind when you want to be."

George scoffed. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

"Sure." Shaye settled for enjoying the moment while it lasted. "Whatever you say, Weasley."

═══════════════

Sitting across from Harry in the Great Hall, Shaye watched with amusement as he took a sip of juice, looked over in the direction of the Ravenclaw table at Cho Chang, smiled, forgot there was juice in his mouth and suffered the embarrassing consequences of having liquid dribble down his chin while trying to impress the girl he fancied.

"Hi, Harry," the Patil twins said as they passed by, just missing Harry's little accident.

Harry wiped the juice from his face quickly before flashing a quick smiling at the passing girls. 

"Very smooth." Shaye snickered. "A real ladies man." 

Harry shot her a look and turned back around in his seat, wincing slightly when his slung arm banged against the table. Turns out, he had suffered a bit more than some minor scrapes and bruises, but it was nothing too serious; just a sprained wrist that, thanks to Madam Pomfrey, would be healed in no time.

"Look at this!" Hermione exclaimed as she sat down at the table and unfolded that morning's issue of the Daily Prophet. "I can't believe it. She's done it again."

Shaye glanced over at the paper and spotted the moving black and white image of her and Harry hugging in the champions' tent. "Ah, we're used to it by now." she brushed it off. "At this point, half the school thinks we're dating and the other half knows better. It is what it is."

"Not you guys!" Hermione pointed to the article just below the one about Shaye and Harry. Shaye noticed the image of Krum as Hermione started reading. "'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian bonbon, Viktor Krum.'"

"I mean, even you have to admit he's easy on the eyes." Shaye pointed out, missing the way George looked over at her as she said that. "Not that I'm defending Rita and her wretched articles. Just that, out of all the guys she could fabricate a relationship for you to be in with, he's not the worst."

Hermione simply crumpled up the paper, letting out an annoyed huff in the process.

"Parcel for you, Mr. Weasley." one of the younger boys who helped deliver the mail that was too big for the owls to carry set a box down on the table in front of Ron.

"Thank you, Nigel." Ron took the package, too busy reading the label to notice that Nigel was still standing there, staring fondly at Harry and Shaye.

Hermione cleared her throat to get Ron's attention. "Not now, Nigel. Later," Ron whispered to the boy and sent him on his way. Shaye, Harry and Hermione gave him a quizzical look. "I told him I'd get him Harry's and Shaye's autographs." Ron elaborated as he began to untie the twine around his package.

Shaye smirked at Harry. "Look at us, all famous now." Harry chuckled and shovelled some breakfast into his mouth.

"Oh, look, Mum's sent me something." Ron ripped away the brown paper wrapping and opened the box inside. He then pulled out a long brown article of clothing with pink, frilly lace at the neck and cuffs. 

Standing up, Ron held the clothing up to his person, revealing that it was a disgusting looking coat. "Mum sent me a dress." he frowned as the entire Gryffindor table turned to look at him. Shaye and Hermione laughed.

"Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?" Harry reached into the box and pulled out an equally ugly, frilly white bonnet with a black necktie attached. "Aha." he held it up to Ron's neck to complete the look.

"Nose down, Harry." Ron pushed the bonnet back into the box before turning to Ginny, who was sitting a few people down. "Ginny, these must be for you."

Ginny looked up from her bowl of cereal, took one look at the coat and physically recoiled. "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly," she said.

Shaye and Hermione let out another laugh, wondering how long it would take for Ron to catch on. "What are you on about?" Ron turned to the giggling girls.

"They're not for Ginny." Hermione finally broke the news. "They're for you."

Fred and George burst out into laughter. 

"Dress robes." Shaye clarified.

"Dress robes?" Ron stared down at the fabric in his hands. "For what?"

'For what?' was exactly what they would be finding out later that afternoon. With the entire Gryffindor house gathered in an emptied-out classroom, benches on each side for the girls and boys to sit apart, McGonagall waited until everyone had arrived before explaining the unusual reasoning for having every Gryffindor in the same room at once.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception," McGonagall had to speak loudly over the static sound of Filch trying to get the record player to work. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

Instantly, excited chattering erupted from the girls' side of the room and annoyed grumbling erupted from the boys' side. Shaye and Harry made eye contact across the room, both of them having just heard about the Yule Ball for the first time right then. They didn't have to speak to know they were both thinking the same thing . . . 'oh great, another reason for them to parade themselves in front of the entire school.'

"Silence!" McGonagall called. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

Shaye watched from across the room as Fred leaned over to George and whispered, "Try saying that five times fast, huh?" to him. Without fail, George started reciting 'babbling, bumbling band of baboons' over and over again.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe," McGonagall held her arms out at her sides. "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to pounce. " Ron leaned over and whispered something to Seamus before they both chuckled. "Mr. Weasley."

Ron wiped the smirk from his face and looked up at McGonagall. "Yes?"

"Will you join me, please?" McGonagall smiled and held her hand out to him. Even though she played her intentions off as innocent, she had caught his interrupting remark and decided that this was a fitting punishment.

With Harry and Seamus grinning from either side of him, Ron slowly stood to his feet and joined McGonagall in the middle of the room. The boys' side of the room let out a collective snicker.

"I don't want to miss a second of this," Shaye whispered to Hermione as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Now, place your right hand on my waist," McGonagall instructed.

Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Where?"

"My waist," McGonagall repeated. "And extend your arm."

Reluctantly, and with a look of priceless embarrassment on his face, Ron did as he was told and placed his hand on McGonagall's waist. One of the boys immediately let out a wolf whistle. 

"Mr. Filch, if you please." McGonagall turned to Filch, who, in turn, placed the needle of the record player onto the record itself. A classical waltz song filled the room. "One, two, three." McGonagall directed as she and Ron began dancing. 

Fred and George were enjoying the hell out of this, swaying and humming and smirking all the while. 

"Oi." Harry caught the twins' attention. "Never gonna let him forget this, are you?"

Fred and George shook their heads. "Never."

"Everybody come together," McGonagall instructed the students to join her and Ron on the dance floor. Almost all of the girls, Shaye and Hermione included, jumped to their feet. The boys, however, stayed sitting. "Boys, on your feet."

Looking around at the shy boys around him, Neville swallowed hard before standing up and being the first to join the girls. Slowly after that, the boys trickled onto the dance floor as well and before long, the room was full of practicing dancers.

"Come on, Harry." Shaye grabbed him out of his chair and pulled him to the middle of the room. "We've battled dragons together so we can dance together. Plus, I'm not waiting around for that weird boy to corner me." 

Shaye gestured subtly with her head to one of the boys who was still seated. His eyes, however, were glued to Shaye like a hawk. He wasn't the most unattractive person Shaye had ever seen, but there was just something about him that deterred Shaye from wanted to ever be alone with him.

"Who is that?" Harry asked, his hands just barely ghosting over Shaye's waist.

Shaye shrugged. "Haven't the foggiest. Just noticed him now. I think he's a year older but I'm not sure."

"This ball is going to be a nightmare," Harry said.

Shaye nodded. "We should just go with each other. No fuss. No hassle. Then we don't have to worry about asking someone or waiting around for someone weird to ask us."

Harry thought for a moment before agreeing. "Yeah, it makes sense."

"Perfect." Shaye smiled as she and Harry moved across the dance floor. She let out a cackling laugh. "I can't wait to see what Rita Skeeter writes about us next!"


	52. Before the Good Ones Are Gone

Opening her eyes and letting out a loud yawn, Shaye stretched her arms and legs and sighed happily to herself. She had just woken up from one of her rare nightmare free nights and was already feeling loads better than she had during the previous few days.

The bright sunlight that shone through the window told Shaye that she had missed breakfast, but she was more than okay with that. Looking at the clock, she realized she had just enough time to get ready and make it to study hall in time. 

Jumping out of bed, Shaye took a moment to admire the fresh sprinkling of snow that was covering the school grounds. Winter always made Hogwarts look just that little bit extra magical and now that all of the students from the fourth year to the seventh would be staying for the holidays due to the Yule Ball, the grounds had started being decorated in advance. It was a wonderful sight to wake up to in the morning. 

After changing into her school uniform and grabbing her bag full of books and homework, Shaye headed down to the common room where a few younger Gryffindors were busy with their studies. When they caught a glimpse of her, however, they stopped what they were doing to stare. Shaye had gotten used to the sudden and overwhelming change in public perception directed at her and Harry since the first task, but it was still weird to be watched wherever you went.

Passing by the couch where she did most of her studying, Shaye noticed a book sitting in the spot where she had been working the night before. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it looked exactly like the Herbology textbook she had been using. Everything was the same, right down to the folded corner and name messily scribbled on the bottom. But how could that be? Shaye knew for a fact that her Herbology textbook was in her bag. She had _just_ packed it.

Then she realized what was going on. Drawing her wand, Shaye pointed it at the textbook and said, " _Revelio._ "

The front page of the book flew open and a cloud of green, foul-smelling smoke wafted into the air. It was a textbook Weasley prank, pun intended. Picking up the fake, tampered textbook, Shaye rolled her eyes and headed off to study hall.

Entering the Great Hall, Shaye noticed Hermione, Harry and Ron sitting in the middle of the Gryffindor table. On the way over, she stopped in front of the twins, who had been eyeing her not-so-subtly ever since she had arrived in the doorway, and dropped the book down onto the table in front of them.

"I'm serious, guys, stop trying to prank me," she said. "Not only is it sad to watch you fail over and over again, but it's annoying."

George frowned. "So it didn't work?"

"Not even close." Shaye shook her head before joining her friends. Snape cocked a brow in her direction as she did so, indicating that he had seen her come in after everyone else and that he would be watching her to make sure she stayed quiet and did her work.

Hermione, like always, had her nose buried in a book and barely even looked up when Shaye sat down. Harry was writing an essay while half-listening to Ron and Ron wasn't doing any work at all. Instead, he was rambling on about the Yule Ball.

"This is mad." Ron scanned the room like he was trying to find an available girl right then and there. "At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates." 

Having heard Ron's chattering, Snape marched over and pushed his head back toward the tabletop. 

"Not us, just you." Harry corrected him.

Ron furrowed his ginger brows. "Who are you going with?"

"Shaye," Harry answered. "We're going together."

Ron looked over at Shaye, who nodded. "It just seemed easier this way," she said at a low whisper so as not to alert Snape. "Now we don't have to worry about finding dates."

"You can't go with each other." Hermione finally looked up from her work. "All the champions need to have separate dates. It's the rule."

Shaye and Harry looked at one another. "Rule?" Harry asked. "Since when?"

"Since always." Hermione sighed. "McGonagall said it during the Gryffindor meeting the other day. Weren't you two listening? She looked right at you when she said it."

"Apparently not." Shaye groaned and lowered her head to rest on her textbook. "This whole tournament thing is turning out to be a real pain in my ass."

Harry groaned as well, equally frustrated. 

"Well, now it is just going to be us," Ron said. "Well, us and Neville."

Harry smirked. "Yeah, but, then again, he can take himself."

"It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone," Hermione leaned over to tell the two boys. 

Ron huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Now I'm really depressed."

"You're depressed?" Shaye snapped and looked over at the end of the Gryffindor table where that same weird boy from before was staring at her once again. "I'm going to end up going with that guy over there."

When Ron looked over at the guy, he looked away suddenly. "Who is that guy?" Ron asked.

"I literally have no idea." Shaye whimpered. "I've never seen him before and now he just keeps popping up wherever I go."

"Well, if he asks you, just say no," Ron said.

"Oh, yeah." Shaye scoffed. "And then what? Go to the ball alone?"

"You're the champion who rode a dragon in front of the entire school. Someone else is bound to ask you."

"Yeah, like who?"

Ron leaned across the table and lowered his voice even more than a regular whisper. "George."

Despite Ron's voice being barely audible, Hermione had somehow heard it. "Really?" she smiled wide. "Oh, that's so cute!"

Shaye and Ron hushed her at the same time. "I'm not supposed to know, so keep your mouths shut," Ron said. "Just act surprised when he asks."

"Am I supposed to say yes?" Shaye asked. "I mean, last time the topic of me and George being together came up, you were pretty disgusted."

"I still am." Ron scowled. "But it's just a dance and we've all got to go with somebody, haven't we?"

"That's very big of you, Ron," Hermione said sarcastically.

That's when Fred scribbled something down on a piece of paper and passed it over to Ron when Snape's back was turned. Quietly, Ron read the note out loud. "'Get a move on or all the good ones will be gone.'" he passed the note back and furrowed his brows. "Who are you going with, then?"

Taking the note, Fred crumpled it up into a ball before tossing it at the head of one of the girls sitting a few people down from him. When the girl turned around, Shaye recognized her as Angelina Johnson from the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Oi, Angelina?" Fred whispered.

Angelia looked beyond annoyed. "What?"

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?" he asked, complete with a dancing motion to really get the point across.

"To the ball?" Angelina's sour expression faded away and she smiled. "Yeah, all right."

Fred, with an amused smile, shot Ron a cheeky wink before returning to his work. George laughed, his eyes flickering to Shaye, who was too busy being entertained by the distraught look on Ron's face to notice.

"Oi, Hermione." Ron leaned over. "You're a girl."

"Please tell me you're not." Shaye covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a laugh.

Hermione glared at Ron. "Very well spotted."

Harry, who had noticed that Snape was walking over, tried to get Ron to shut up. Ron, however, was already too committed to his dimwitted idea.

"Come with one of us?" Ron mimicked the same dancing move as Fred had, only to be smacked in the back of the head with a book by Snape. All four of them immediately dropped their heads and kept their eyes glued to their homework.

Snape then gave Harry a smack on the head for good measure before sauntering off.

"Come on." Ron tried to convince Hermione. "It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl, it's just sad. You can go with Harry and I can go with Shaye. That way no one is breaking any rules and everyone is happy."

Hermione's face crumpled with anger. "I won't be going alone because, believe it or not, someone's asked me!" she stood up, handed her completed notebook over to Snape and looped back around to collect her things. "And I said yes!"

Hermione then stormed out of the Great Hall. Ron watched her go before turning back to Shaye. "You wanna go with me?" he clearly didn't have anything left to lose. 

"I think I'd rather battle a dragon again." Shaye stood up as well and collected her things so she could go after Hermione. As she headed for the exit, she heard someone calling her name.

"Oi, Frazier!" 

Turning around, Shaye saw George jogging toward her. Immediately, she felt her heart skip a beat. Was this it? Was he going to ask her right now? 

"I think you dropped this." George handed over a folded piece of paper and winked. 

"Oh, thanks." Shaye took the paper, knowing full well she hadn't dropped it. 

With that, George turned and returned to the table with Fred and his friends. Shaye looked down at the parchment in her hands as she walked out of the Great Hall. Was George really going to ask her out with a note? 

As she climbed the staircase to Gryffindor tower, which was where she thought Hermione might have disappeared to, Shaye decided to bite the bullet and unfold the note. It was one short sentence long and definitely not what she had been expecting.

**_Meet me in the courtyard at 5:00._ **

Shaye wasn't sure what to make of it at first. As she entered the portrait hole and stepped into the common room, she spotted Hermione sitting on the red couch and stuffed the note into her pocket. 

"Hey." Shaye sat down beside her best friend. "You okay?"

Closing the textbook that had been open in her lap, Hermione sighed. "Yeah, thanks."

Shaye smiled. "So Krum asked you?"

Hermione's cheeks flushed bright pink. "How did you know?"

"Everywhere he goes, a gaggle of girls are chasing after him and the only person he has eyes for is you," Shaye said. "It's impossible to miss." 

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Hermione smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's pretty quiet but he seems nice. I figured, what's the harm in it, right?"

"Right." Shaye agreed.

"And someone will ask you soon enough," Hermione told Shaye. "Eventually, one of the many guys that have their eyes on you will work up the nerve to ask you."

Shaye chuckled as she pulled George's note out of her pocket and handed it to Hermione. "I think one of them already has."

Hermione took one look at the note and grinned. "George?"

Shaye nodded. "Ron wasn't lying, I guess."

"Are you going to say yes?"

"I think so," Shaye answered. "Sure, he's a little irritating sometimes and his pranks are never-ending and infuriating . . . but he's sweet when he wants to be. Plus, it's like Ron said, it's just a dance."

Hermione handed the note back. "I personally think he should have asked you out ages ago, but I guess it's better late than never."

Shaye just chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Enough about me. Tell me about Krum!"

═══════════════

It was just before five o'clock and the sun was beginning to dip behind the mountains that surrounded Hogwarts. It was snowing gently, the snowflakes glinting in the remaining rays of sunlight. It was brisk outside, but not too cold. It had been the perfect winter day.

With her jacket keeping her warm, Shaye stepped out into the courtyard with Hermione by her side and was taken aback by what she saw. There were at least fifty students, most of them Gryffindors, standing around the courtyard in the snow. In the middle of all of them, George was standing by himself without his twin by his side, which was a very rare sight to see.

Shaye immediately felt confused. She had never pegged George as someone to put on a big display. If anything, she would have believed it more if he _had_ asked her in a crummy little note instead of whatever this was.

"George?" Shaye asked. "What is this?"

The hushed silence fell over the crowd of chattering children, most of who were Fred and George's friends. Harry and Ron were there as well along with a few other kids in their year. 

George smiled when he saw Shaye. "Surprised?" he asked.

"Ugh, yeah." Shaye chuckled as Hermione joined the crowd. "I'm also a little concerned but that's because I never know what's going on with you."

"I like to keep you guessing. It's part of my charm," George said as he walked toward Shaye, his shoes leaving footprints in the fresh snow. "Listen, we've known each other for a while now, right?"

Shaye tried desperately to wrap her mind around what was happening. " . . . yes?"

"And I think we work well together. No one else, except maybe Fred, knows how to put me in my place like you do." George took Shaye's hands in his own. "So, I think it's about time I asked you . . ."

There was a long dramatic pause and Shaye felt as though her heart might burst right out of her chest if she was left in suspense for one second more. George opened his mouth, but before a single word came out, there was a loud swooping sound above her.

Before Shaye knew what was happening, George was leaping back from her and Fred was flying over her on a broom, dumping some sort of cold, sticky substance all over her. 

Shaye's entire body jolted as the crowd of gathered students broke out into laughter. Holding her arms out at her sides, she gasped as a thick, blue slime ran down over her head, onto the rest of her body and dripped onto the snow. 

"Did it work this time?!" George exclaimed. He was doubled over with laughter.

Shaye wanted nothing more than to turn around, storm back into the castle and never speak to George again . . . but she couldn't move. She felt frozen in place and she wasn't sure if it was a side-effect of whatever was all over her or if it was her own humiliation keeping her there.

"What . . .?" she felt tears prickle in her eyes. In a matter of seconds, she went through a slew of emotions: confusion, embarrassment, sadness and then, finally, anger. She was angry at herself for ever thinking that George Weasley was going to ask her to the Yule Ball. How could she have been so stupid?

"Shaye, are you okay?" Hermione rushed over. She was the only person not laughing. 

Wiping some of the slime from her face, Shaye huffed. "Yeah, I think so."

It was then that Fred landed his broom in the snow and joined his brother and everyone else in laughing at Shaye's hilarious misfortune. "You finally got her." Fred gave George a high-five. "I stand corrected."

"Stand corrected?" Shaye looked from one twin to the other before she finally caught on to what was going on. "Is this because Fred said you have a soft spot for me?!" she fumed. "Is that why you've been trying to prank me all year long even though I've repeatedly told you to stop?!"

George collected himself before answering. "Yeah. I had to prove him wrong."

"Because it would have been so horrible if he had been right?" Shaye's voice nearly broke when she spoke. "Because it would be so horrible to have a soft spot for me? Because I'm so . . . _horrible?_ "

The laughter of the crowd slowly died out and George's smile vanished from his face. In an instant, he understood what he had done and the regret was plastered on his face. It was too late though.

"Oh, Shaye . . . I didn't mean to." George took a step forward, Shaye took a step back. "I just wanted to lighten the mood a little before I asked if you wanted to go to the ball with me. I was going to ask you, I promise."

"Right after you humiliated me in front of all of your friends?" Shaye snapped. George didn't say a word. "You know what, I was going to say yes when I thought that deep down, you had actually thought of somebody else besides yourself for a change . . . when I thought you were going to invite me out here and be sweet and ask me properly."

"So . . . so that's a no?"

Shaye gave her hands a shake and watched as the blue slime from her fingertips dripped onto the snow. "That's a _hell no!_ " she answered. 

Without another word, Shaye spun on her heel and marched back into the castle with Hermione by her side. George was left speechless, but Shaye couldn't have cared less about his feelings at that moment.

"I was wrong," Hermione said as she led Shaye to the nearest bathroom to clean herself off. "He's an inconsiderate jerk, just like his brother. Now I know where Ron gets it from."

As soon as she stepped into the privacy of the empty bathroom, Shaye felt the tears start to run down her cheeks; not because she was sad about George but because she was angry with herself and embarrassed. 

"I just want this year to be over." Shaye turned on the sink and started washing her face off with warm water. "I'm just so . . . _tired_."

"I know." Hermione helped her get her now blue and sticky jacket off. "You know, Viktor has a friend who seems pretty interested in you."

Shaye scoffed, hardly believing it at first. "Really?"

"Yeah, his name is Mattias I think. I've never actually met him myself," Hermione said. "I was going to tell you earlier but then it seemed like you would be going with George so . . ."

"And he wants to go to the ball with me?" Shaye asked. "He didn't just watch me get slimed on, did he?"

Hermione shook her head and chuckled. "No, he wasn't there. I can ask Viktor to talk to him for you if you want. That way you don't have to go alone and you don't have to worry about some random boy asking you."

"Thanks, Hermione." Shaye smiled softly. "I'd appreciate it."

"Of course." Hermione plucked a bit of blue goo out of her braided hair. "You could use a win right now."


	53. The Yule Ball

It was finally Christmas Eve and even though the past weeks had been spent by everyone frantically running around, trying to find dates for the Yule Ball, the time had finally arrived. Those who had managed to couple up were over the moon with excitement and those who had failed to find a date sat sadly in their common rooms, unsure if they should find the courage within themselves to go to the dance alone or feign illness and stay in bed all evening. 

Shaye, despite fitting into the first category of people (somewhat surprisingly, considering the ordeal she had been through the week previous), was feeling like she fit more into the second category. 

Mattias Ekholm, the boy that Hermione and Krum had worked together to set Shaye up with, was a perfectly nice and attractive boy from Durmstrang who had no sooner told Shaye she was beautiful on their first meeting than kissed the back of her hand as if she were royalty of some kind. He was any girl's dream date to the Yule Ball and although Shaye felt beyond lucky that he had seemed more than willing to go with her, something still felt off about it.

Shaye couldn't pinpoint what it was, exactly, but the voices inside her head (and the one outside of her head that belonged to Hermione) kept telling her that it had something to do with George. Hermione was on the fence about the Weasley twin now, still convinced he and Shaye would make a good couple but turned off by his thoughtless and tactless prank. Shaye felt much of the same, only with a whole lot of extra confusing emotions mixed in.

One part of Shaye wished she were going to the ball with George, if only because he was familiar and comforting, but the other part wanted nothing to do with him and felt sick to her stomach at the mere thought of seeing him that evening.

"I know I told you to take your time and all, but we really are going to be late." Hermione stepped out of the bathroom in the most incredible pink layered dress that Shaye had ever seen. "You are a champion, after all. I think people will notice your absence."

"You look beautiful!" Shaye gushed.

"And you will too!" Hermione insisted as she pulled Shaye's dress out of the wardrobe and held it in front of Shaye's body. "This dress is stunning."

Shaye stared at the dress in front of herself critically. There was no denying it was a beautiful dress, what with the white bodysuit that hugged the torso underneath the layer of sheer, beige-ish gold fabric decorated with intricate gold designs. The torso of the dress hugged the body while the bottom flowed all the way to the floor and the short sleeves frilled a little at the edges. It was a beautiful dress, but she just wasn't sure she felt in the right mood to wear such a breathtaking outfit. 

"Put it on." it was as if Hermione could read Shaye's mind. "You'll feel better once you're wearing it."

Shaye doubted this logic at first, but even she had to admit that once she had the dress on and had slipped on her high-heeled shoes and done her hair up into a slightly messy bun with matching gold decorations that glittered among her brown hair, she felt like a true champion; a lot more than she had in past weeks.

Looking herself over in the mirror, Shaye smiled softly. If there was one thing she was growing to like about the tournament, it was that no expense had been spared when it came to the public appearance of the champions. Harry, Cedric and Krum had the best dress robes that money could buy and Shaye and Fleur had easily some of the most beautiful dresses ever made. 

"Okay." she finally decided. "I think I'm ready to go now."

Hermione smiled and hooked her arm with Shaye's. "Perfect."

Together, the two friends ventured down to the Great Hall with only a few minutes to spare. With the doors already closed, the faint sound of classical music could be heard in the corridor where only the champions and their dates remained.

Harry, who had managed to arrange dates for Ron and himself with the Patil twins (after Harry had been rejected by Cho, who had agreed to go with Cedric already, and Ron had been rejected by Fleur Delacour), stood with Parvati by his side. Parvati was dressed in a pink traditional Indian dressing gown with an orange sash. 

Cedric was standing with Cho, Fleur with her date, Roger Davies, and Krum and Mattias, of course, were waiting for Hermione and Shaye, respectively.

Harry looked up at his two friends and his jaw dropped. Never before had he seen them ever look so . . . feminine. He was so used to facing death and battling deadly creatures with them. This was a whole new side that made him think about them differently, even if only for a moment.

Spotting their dates descending the steps, Krum and Mattias, who were both dressed in bright red uniforms with brown furry capes draped over their left shoulders (as was every other Durmstrang boy), stood at attention before the girls and offered their hands.

"You look as beautiful as the night sky when the moon is full and it is freckled with shimmering stars," Mattias said as he gently kissed the back of Shaye's hand. 

Krum did the same, but with a different compliment, and both girls blushed. Shaye was sure that George couldn't have ever come up with something so kind and romantic if he had been paid to. 

"Ah, Miss Frazier, there you are." McGonagall rushed over. "Are you are Mr. Ekholm ready?"

Shaye cocked a brow. "Ready, Professor?"

"To dance," McGonagall said. "It's tradition that the three champions—well, in this case, five—are the first to dance. Surely I told you that?"

Shaye and Harry shared a look, both equally as confused as the other one. Somehow, they were always left out of the loop on important information. "No," Shaye answered.

"Well, now you know," McGonagall stated before turning to the rest of the champions and their dates. "Now, I need you all to line up in the procession, please."

"Guess we're doing this, then," Shaye noted as she and Mattias lined up behind Harry and Parvati. "Weird that the three of us are here and Ron is in there."

Before Harry or Hermione could say something in response, a loud trumpet-heavy song began to play and the Great Hall doors swung open, revealing the beautifully decorated Hall to the champions and the champions to the beautifully decorated Hall and everyone inside.

The rest of the students, all who were dressed head to toe in spectacular outfits as well, applauded the champions and their dates as they strode into the Hall. Fleur and Roger were first, followed by Krum and Hermione, then Cedric and Cho, Harry and Parvati, and finally, Shaye and Mattias.

The Great Hall had been decorated so wonderfully that at first, Shaye didn't even recognize it as the Great Hall. The theme was winter since it was Christmas Eve, and it had been executed perfectly. Silver tablecloths decorated the many round tables and silver tapestries hung from the ceilings. There were huge ice sculptures and a giant dance floor and even a stage for the bands to play. It was unlike anything Shaye had ever seen at Hogwarts before.

Shaye wasn't sure whether to smile at the other students as she passed them or keep her gaze ahead at the dance floor. When she spotted George among the crowd, however, and they made eye contact for a split second, she forced her eyes forward, tunnel vision slowly closing in, and tightened her grip tighter around Mattias' forearm.

As the dramatic introduction song came to an end and the champions took their places on the dance floor with their dates, there was a moment of silence before the waltz music came on.

Shaye watched out of the corner of her eye as the crowd closed in around the dance floor. With that, Shaye held Mattias' hand with her right hand and placed her left on his shoulder. Mattias placed his free hand on Shaye's waist. Not a second later, Flitwick tapped his wand three times before turning to the band and beginning to conduct.

As soon as the beautiful, light music began to play, all five couples on the dance floor jumped into the dance they had been taught. It was a rather complex dance, what with all of the changes of hand placement, quick footwork and lifts into the air, but they all managed to pull it off flawlessly.

Shaye wasn't quite sure how she was making the dance look so easy when not a week before she had been struggling with it, but she supposed that focusing on the moves instead of the way George was staring at her through the crowd helped a lot. 

Before long, Dumbledore and McGonagall joined the dancing couples. After that, more teacher couples took to the dance floor, taking the pressure off of the five sole champion couples and allowing them to loosen up a bit.

When Mattias lifted Shaye especially high at the swell of the song, she let out a small laugh and grinned. Suddenly, she felt so much lighter on her feet. 

Ginny and Neville were the first student couple to take part in the elegant waltz. Shaye smiled happily when Hagrid and Madame Maxime took to the dance floor and before long, the entire school had grabbed their partner (if they had one) and joined the dance.

As the waltz came to an end and the Great Hall broke out into applause, the headlining band of the night, the Weird Sisters, took to the stage and started playing their rock music that so many students adored. In seconds, the elegant dancing had digressed into happy, jumping dancing that was more commonly seen at a typical party. 

Everyone was having a grand old time . . . well, everyone except Harry, Ron, the Patil twins, George and the girl he had brought to the dance. Shaye recognized George's date as one of Angelina's friends and knew instantly that Fred had hooked him up the same way Hermione had hooked Shaye up. The only difference was, while Shaye was thoroughly enjoying her time with Mattias, George and his date looked miserable.

Shaye felt a little bad for George, and more so for his poor date, but she decided against letting that ruin her evening. Harry and Ron, in the same sad fashion, were also moping around about the fact that the girls they wanted to go to the dance with had gone with someone else. It was one big sad state of affairs, in the long run.

Hermione wasn't paying any attention to the disgruntled boys either, instead insisting that she, Krum, Shaye and Mattias enjoy the evening together, which turned out to be a spectacular idea. 

After dancing non-stop for three or four songs in a row, the group of four departed the dance floor to cool off a little. While Krum and Mattias offered to collect refreshments, Shaye and Hermione decided to be nice and check in on Harry and Ron, who were still sulking.

Shaye didn't even bother to look over at George as she approached, but he turned and struck up a conversation with his date as soon as he saw her coming anyway.

"Hot, isn't it?" Hermione sat beside Harry to catch her breath a little. "Viktor and Mattias have gone to go and get drinks. Would you care to join us?"

Ron's forehead wrinkled and he scoffed. "No, we'd not care to join you and Viktor . . . or you and Mattias."

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Hermione asked.

"They're Durmstrangs." Ron played it off as though them being from a different school was the problem. "You're fraternizing with the enemy."

Shaye couldn't believe what she was hearing. "The enemy? "

"Who was it wanting Viktor's autograph?" Hermione spat. "Besides, the whole point of the tournament is international magical cooperation . . . to make friends."

"I think they've got a bit more than friendship on their minds."

Speechless, Hermione stood up and walked off without so much as a wave goodbye. Shaye just glared at the group of bitter boys. "What is it with Weasley boys and being so unable to handle their feelings properly?!" Shaye shot, looking over at George as well because she wanted to make it crystal clear that she was talking about him too. "Maybe if you'd just work up the courage to ask the people you actually wanted to go out with—and be able to do it without some big childish, unkind spectacle fiasco—you wouldn't be sitting here moping around and feeling sorry for yourselves!"

With that, Shaye stormed off as well, only to be greeted by a smiling Mattias who was holding out a cold glass of punch. Shaye shook the anger out of her fingertips and took the drink with a thankful nod. 

"If only all boys could be as kind as you and Viktor," she said as she took a sip of the drink, relishing in how it soothed her sore throat, which was strained both from singing along to the songs and yelling at Ron and George just then.

"You are having trouble with your friends?" Mattias gestured over to where Harry, Ron and George were sitting.

Shaye sighed. "Yes, but I don't want you to worry about it."

"Perhaps a dance would make you feel better?" Mattias took the drink out of Shaye's hand, set it down on the nearest table and extended his hand for Shaye to take.

"Perhaps it would." Shaye agreed, and without even a glance in George's direction, she took Mattias' hand and followed him back to the dance floor just as a slow song began to fill the Hall.

Shaye and Mattias danced for quite a while longer after that, making small talk and getting to know one another in the process. Shaye was surprised to find out that, while Mattias had been rather quiet on the previous occasions she had met him, he was a little bit of a chatterbox when you got him alone. He told Shaye all about what studying at Durmstrang was like and what he thought about Hogwarts so far. He also made sure to sprinkle compliments about how beautiful Shaye was or how incredible she had been during the first task in with the casual information about himself.

As the night got later and more and more couples trickled out of the Great Hall, either to head to bed or to find somewhere more private to be together, the dance floor slowly emptied, leaving only a few couples left. 

Hearing a couple of hushed but angered voices, Shaye looked over Mattias' shoulder to see Ron and Hermione leaving the Hall, engaged in a heated discussion with each other. "Oh, I should go see if Hermione is okay," Shaye said, knowing that Ron could be cruel when he wanted to, and especially when it came to Hermione. 

"Please, allow me." Mattias offered, having seen the confrontation as well. "Wait here. I will return to walk you to your dorm and bid you goodnight."

"Okay." Shaye couldn't help but blush as she slid her hand out of Mattias'. "I'll be right here."

As Mattias parted ways and went to check if Hermione was okay, Shaye watched him go, her eyes wandering a little and finally settling on George. George was sitting with his head in his hands, the same frown he had plastered on his face all night still present. When he looked up and saw her looking at him, however, he seemed to perk up a little.

George smiled softly and, upon noticing that Shaye was alone, stood from his seat and started toward her. His date had ditched him hours ago to spend the night with her friends, so he didn't have any remaining attachments for the evening.

Shaye watched him walk over and wished that she had an excuse not to talk to him. She dreaded having to hear what he had to say or having to decide whether to forgive him or not . . . because deep down, she _did_ want to forgive him, but she also wanted to stay mad at him for being so heartless. 

"George, please . . ." Shaye spoke softly as he approached. "Not now."

"It has to be now," George said, "because I can't keep looking at you from across the room and knowing that you have no idea how sorry I am. Because I am . . . so sorry, that is. I know now that what I did was stupid and that I should have asked you to the ball the way you deserved to be asked."

Shaye folded her arms across her chest. "And how is that?"

"With a grand gesture, and not the type that I used," he answered. "You deserve to be showered in compliments and told how special you are because . . . you are. You are without a doubt the most beautiful girl that stepped foot in this room tonight and I'm not just saying that because I've had a crush on you since last year. I know that that big, handsome Durmstrang guy makes you happy but it crushes me just a little to see someone else making you smile and laugh. That's all I ever wanted to do . . . make you smile and laugh because your smile is like gold and your laugh is like a songbird's morning call."

Shaye felt as though she had gotten the wind knocked out of her. She had been wrong. George _was_ capable of kind and romantic. "George . . ." she breathed out.

"I just needed you to know how sorry I am," George finished. "And I'd sleep a lot better tonight if I knew that you forgave me. So . . . do you?"

Shaye opened her mouth to speak even though she wasn't exactly sure what her answer was yet. Then, that saving grace that meant she didn't have to talk to George arrived, albeit, a little late. 

McGonagall was making her way across the Great Hall in Shaye's direction with a stone-cold expression on her face; one that was so obviously hiding the true emotion she was feeling. Shaye had seen the look before, but only right before bad news was delivered. And not just mildly inconveniencing news . . . no, this was the look of life-altering, devastating news.

This was a look that one would expect to be aimed in Harry's direction, what with all of the trauma in his life, but it wasn't. This look was staring straight into Shaye's very being and in the blink of an eye, she had forgotten all about George and the ball and the tournament.

"Miss Frazier, will you please come with me." McGonagall requested as she placed a gentle hand onto the girl's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Shaye asked. She knew something was wrong, she just didn't know what. 

"Not here." was all McGonagall said in response, and with a gentle push, she guided Shaye away from George and out of the hall. 

Neville and Ginny, who had been one of the last couples on the dance floor, stopped dancing to watch the girl and the professor leave. 

Shaye made eye contact with Harry as she left. He could tell something was wrong right away. As Shaye and McGonagall stepped into the corridor, they passed Hermione, Ron and Mattias. The quietly arguing trio fell silent when they watched Shaye pass by, a pale sickening look on her face.

Shaye didn't say a single word to any of the friends she passed. Instead, she focused on the steps she was taking and the comforting touch of McGonagall's hand on her shoulder. They walked down corridors and up flights of stairs and finally, they reached McGonagall's office, where the professor ushered the girl inside with a single word.

McGonagall's office was much smaller than the headmaster's office, but that was to be expected. There was a small, simple desk sitting in front of a large window that overlooked the lawn of grass where Madam Hooch taught flying lessons. That spot was barely visible now though, with the darkness of the night and snow hiding it away.

There was a quaint fire crackling in the corner with two armchairs that resembled the ones in Gryffindor tower in front of it. Shaye waited until McGonagall directed her to one of the armchairs before sitting.

She wasn't sure if she should speak first or not—if she should ask what this was about or wait until McGonagall felt ready to tell her. Shaye decided to stay quiet, so she sat in the armchair twiddling her thumbs nervously and waited.

After a few minutes, McGonagall walked over with two cups of tea and sat one down in front of Shaye. The wise professor was quite sure that after hearing the news she had to deliver, drinking tea would be the last thing that Shaye would want to do. Still, she brewed two cups anyway because it simply felt like the right thing to do.

Perching in the chair opposite Shaye, McGonagall took a single sip of her own tea before setting the cup down, drawing in a shaky breath and breaking some of the worst news that she had ever had to deliver to a student in her entire career of teaching at Hogwarts.

Shaye only heard the first few words come out of McGonagall's mouth before her ears stopped hearing and her entire body went numb. Those first few words were all Shaye really needed to hear anyway, because everything after that was a slew of messy condolences and reassurances of support should she feel she needed it.

Eventually, McGonagall had realized that she had said more than enough and fell silent. She gave the girl before her a chance to say something, but she had nothing to say. There was nothing she wanted to say. 

Then, a single tear slide down Shaye's cheek. She hadn't even noticed her eyes welling up, but now she was crying and there was no stopping it. Leaning over, Shaye undid the straps on her shoes before kicking them off and curling up in the armchair, her arms wrapped around her knees.

McGonagall pulled a blanket seemingly out of thin air and draped it over the distraught girl. Shaye's hearing tuned back in for a split second to hear McGonagall tell her that she could stay for as long as she needed. Then everything was quiet again and Shaye's glassy eyes stared into the red and orange flames of the flickering fire. 

She wasn't quite sure how long she had sat there for, but when she snapped out of her self-induced trance, the fire was nothing more than a pile of red-hot embers and the sound of McGonagall writing something at her desk filled the office.

Sniffling, Shaye wiped her eyes dry and stood from the chair. McGonagall jumped a little at the sudden movement since Shaye had been so still for so long. 

"Is there anything I can get you, dear?" McGonagall asked worryingly. "Anything at all?"

"No, thank you." Shaye picked up her shoes and placed the blanket back onto the armchair. "I think I'd just like to get out of this dress and go to bed."

"Very well." McGonagall nodded. "Would you like me to escort you?"

"No, thank you. I'd rather be alone."

Standing up from her desk, McGonagall opened her office door to see Shaye out. "I'm always here if you need to talk," she said. "Goodnight, Miss Frazier. I really am so sorry for your loss."

Shaye didn't say anything in response. With her shoes in her hand, she padded barefoot out of the office and through the dark, deserted corridors of the castle. Thankfully, McGonagall being head of Gryffindor meant her office wasn't very far from the common room.

Shaye's felt as though her entire body had been drained of everything that made her who she was. As she wandered through the castle, she felt like a shell of a person . . . no different than the ghosts like Nearly Headless Nick who floated aimlessly around at all hours. 

Reaching the Fat Lady's portrait, Shaye spoke the password but didn't even hear herself say it. For all she knew, she could have said anything. The only way she knew she had gotten it right was when the portrait swung open and she heard the Fat Lady calling after her about 'looking so glum.'

Shaye hadn't even taken five steps into the common room before it sprang to life. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Neville, Ginny and a few other worried patrons jumped up from the couches and armchairs and wherever else they had been waiting.

She was sure she looked horrid. After all of her crying, she was bound to have red, puffy eyes. She held her shoes in her hands and her hair had been messed up somewhere along the way, either at the dance itself or afterward in McGonagall's office.

Shaye looked from Harry to Hermione to Ron and finally to George, who looked the most worried of all. She waited for one of them to ask what had happened or why she looked so horrible, but they didn't; not one peep.

Then, all at once, she felt her emotions taking over. She dropped her shoes to the ground and fought against her wobbling knees to stay standing up. With trembling lips and eyes on the verge of bursting like a damn, she spoke.

"My dad is dead."


	54. Nevermind the Nightmares

Shaye didn't know any details surrounding the death of her father. Not because she wasn't trusted with them or because the adults in her life thought she was too young and fragile to handle them, but because there simply weren't any to tell. It was a mystery to everyone who knew about it. 

Dorian Frazier's body had been found on the doorstep of the Ministry on the morning of December 24th, Christmas Eve. The Ministry originally investigated it as a warning, but that had come up as a dead-end seeing as no one could figure out what the death of a simple wizard who worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures could possibly be a warning about. Moreover, whatever Dorian had been doing when he was killed wasn't Ministry related at all, which proved that he had lied about his trip away from home being work-related. 

There was a slew of questions that surfaced as a result of Dorian Frazier's death; a slew of questions that Shaye would have normally been excited to investigate . . . only she wasn't this time, because the death wasn't some random Ministry employee that she had never met, it was her father. So instead of being curious and eager, Shaye was heartbroken and numb and devastated. 

Shaye wasn't quite sure how long she had laid in her bed after crawling into it once she returned from McGonagall's office. To her, time didn't seem to be a thing anymore. The sun rose and set but she didn't seem to notice. Her only notion of the world after her was tied to the nightmares she had when she eventually fell asleep in between hours and hours of crying and lying motionless in bed, staring at the same wall, unblinking. 

The first nightmare Shaye had had was more of a memory, but it was altered. She was standing in her dormitory, watching herself get ready for the Yule Ball and complain about the tournament and the boy problems she was having. Shaye was screaming at herself, telling the oblivious version of herself that she had more problems to worry about.

"Dad is dead!" she screamed, the desperate plea falling on deaf ears. "Dad is dead and you're going to go dancing around with some stupid Durmstrang boy and pretend like everything is okay! Nothing is okay!"

Shaye watched herself and Hermione walk out of the room, smiles on their faces, excited for the ball. As the door shut behind them, Shaye sat up in bed, sweating bullets. Tears were streaming down her face. That was when McGonagall entered the dormitory, handed her a letter from her mother and told her that she would do everything in her power to have her excused from the rest of the tournament.

Shaye took the envelope and blinked. The tournament . . . she had completely forgotten about it. She knew the second task was quickly approaching, but she didn't know what time it was, let alone what day it was. The snow was still falling during the evenings, which meant it was still winter. The second task wasn't supposed to be until the spring, so she had time. 

Time that she knew she wouldn't spend a second of trying to figure out what the clue in the golden egg from the first task was. Time she knew she would waste. Time she didn't even want to think about.

McGonagall left as quickly as she had arrived and Shaye opened the letter from her mother, lazily skimming it and only picking out a few keywords like 'distraught' and 'sorry' and 'come home'. She then threw the letter down onto the floor and disappeared back under her covers.

The next nightmare that Shaye could remember didn't start out much like a nightmare at all. She was riding a hippogriff over the Black Lake. Maybe it was Buckbeak, maybe it wasn't. She couldn't tell. She didn't care.

She remembered leaning over and dipping her fingertips into the cold, crisp water. She was smiling. She felt free and happy again, the same way she had when she had really been riding Buckbeak over the Black Lake the year previous. Her reflection glittered in the sunlight bouncing off of the water . . . and then it wasn't her reflection anymore, it was her father. He was screaming and clawing at the surface of the water, trying to escape. 

Shaye felt fear take hold of her body and she reached out for him to take her hand. She tried to grab his hand and pull him onto the hippogriff's back with her, but her fingertips went right through him like he wasn't actually there.

Shaye reached about again, this time desperately, this time sinking her arm in all the way up to her elbow. She had a fistful of her hippogriff's feathers in her other hand, keeping her from falling. Then her father's screams stopped and he grinned. The next thing Shaye knew, her father had wrapped his ice-cold hand around her wrist and had pulled her into the lake.

As she crashed through the surface of the water, Shaye looked around frantically for her father, but he wasn't there. She tried to break the surface of the water but it was as if there was an invisible boundary there, keeping her under the same way her father had been kept under when she saw him in her reflection. 

She clawed and screamed and before long, began to sink. Deeper and deeper into the darkness she floated down, her lungs burning for air. She watched as the light slowly faded away from her vision, and as the dream version of her closed her eyes to accept her cold, wet, dark fate, the real her woke with a startle, gasping for breath.

That time, it was Hermione who was there for her. She had been sitting in her bed, pouring over her notes from one of her many classes. When Shaye had bolted up into a sitting position, she dropped what she was doing and rushed to the side of her best friend.

"It was just a nightmare." Hermione handed Shaye a glass of water. "I really think you should spend some time in the Hospital Wing. Let Madam Pomfrey take care of you."

Shaye took a sip of the water and enjoyed the feeling of the cold water slipping down her dry throat. These days, she enjoyed the feeling of anything that wasn't sadness and immense amounts of guilt.

"No." she shook her head. "I want to stay here. I'm not sick."

"You don't have to be sick to have someone take care of you."

"No." she repeated before rolling over and closing her eyes again. The nightmares were horrible, but anything was better than facing reality. So, she welcomed sleep.

Nights complete with nightmares came and went but Shaye refused her leave her dormitory no matter what. Hermione and some of the professors took care of her, bringing her food and work that she had missed in class so she wouldn't fall behind. 

Shaye didn't like the looks she got when she stepped foot past the safe threshold of her dormitory, so she stayed inside. 

As winter crept into spring and the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Shaye had developed a good routine that didn't require her to face any of her peers. Some nights she fell asleep so mentally exhausted that she didn't dream at all—nightmares or otherwise—and sometimes she was lucky enough that even when she did have a nightmare, she didn't remember it when she woke up.

One of the last truly horrific nightmares she could remember having was one of the worst. It was the worst because it was familiar and because it felt more real than any of the others. 

This nightmare was one she had had before—many times before. She was sitting at the top of the stairs, watching her father bid her and her mother goodbye before he left. Only, this time, instead of leaving without saying a word to Shaye, he looked up at her and spoke.

"This is the last time you will ever see me and you're just going to sit there. You won't even say goodbye?" his tone was harsh; he was angry but there was a hint of sadness and disappointment present. "I'm leaving because of you and what you did. You've torn this family apart and what do you have to say for yourself? Nothing! You killed me and you have nothing to say!"

Shaye opened her mouth to tell her father that he was wrong, that she never meant for any of this to happen, but no words came out. Then, like all the other dreams before, he turned and walked out of the door.

Shaye followed into the blackness, screaming and crying and choking. Then she woke up.

This time, Shaye didn't gasp for breath or bolt upright or have to wipe tears from her eyes. This time, she was too numb and too hurt at the same time to do anything but lie there with her eyes open. 

She had been wondering when the guilt would start to seep into her nightmares, and here it was; just as horrible as she had imagined it. When she wasn't sleeping, she was thinking about all the things she had done wrong and all the things she could have done differently. 

If she had never decided to look for Lorelei in the first place, she never would have felt the need to tell her parents. If her parents had never known, her father would never have been angry at her. Then he wouldn't have left, and if he hadn't have left—no matter what cover story he made for it or what the real reason was—he would still be alive. 

Shaye knew that people would tell her not to blame herself because that was what people were _supposed_ to tell grieving people. It's never their fault . . . even when it is.

Sitting up slowly, Shaye was surprised to see Harry sitting at the foot of her bed in a chair, the golden egg in his hand and his eyes glued to a notebook page with four short sentences scribbled onto it.

"You better not be here to ask me to figure out that damn clue," she said, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "If you couldn't already tell, I'm not in the mood."

Harry looked up from the notebook and laughed airily. "No. I've already figured it out, actually. With Cedric's help."

"It's only fair. We did tell him about the dragons." Shaye looked around the rest of the dormitory and noticed that it was empty except for her and Harry. "I'm pretty sure boys aren't supposed to be in here. Even the famous Harry Potter."

"I've got permission from McGonagall. I wanted to be the one to break the bad news."

Shaye didn't even flinch at the mention of bad news. Of course, there was more bad news. Why wouldn't there be? 

Shaye waved her hand at Harry, signalling for him to spit it out already.

"McGonagall tried everything she could think of . . . proposed every single loophole possible," Harry said. "Barty Crouch poured over the rules."

"Just rip the bandaid off." Shaye rolled her eyes. "I've got no tears left to cry, so you don't have to worry about upsetting me."

"You've got to keep competing in the tournament." Harry finally spit out the 'bad news'. 

Shaye pondered this and was surprised to find herself feeling as though this was not the worst news she possibly could have been delivered. If anything, she felt . . . relieved? Being bound to the tournament and its two remaining tasks meant that she had to stay at Hogwarts, which meant that she couldn't return home to her mother. 

Ever since Shaye had read her mother's letter about coming home for the rest of the school year and figuring things out from there, she had felt sick to her stomach whenever she thought about it. The last thing she wanted to do was return to a house that her deceased father would never return to; where her mother saw the reason for her husband's death when she looked at her. 

That house had already been too painful to be in when Shaye realized her sister might never return to it. But now that she _knew_ her father would never step foot through that threshold again, the thought of going back to an existence where it was just her and her mother in a house that used to be so bright and full of happiness and love was unbearable.

"When is the second task?" Shaye asked. 

Harry seemed taken aback by this response, but he answered nevertheless. "Two days."

"Not much time. Probably better that way." Shaye shrugged. "So, what's the clue? What's the second task?"

Harry handed over the notebook and Shaye read what he had written down on it.

**_Come seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above the ground. An hour long you'll have to look. To recover what we took._ **


	55. The Second Task

It was the evening before the second task and even though Harry had told Shaye that he, Ron and Hermione were going to figure out what the clue from the egg meant and that she should rest, she just couldn't sit still.

She had been able to spend months on end in bed just fine, wallowing in her grief and guilt, but now that she had the riddle bouncing around in her head, she felt that if she spent one more second in her dormitory, staring at the same plain wall, she was going to lose her mind. 

She repeated the four short sentences over and over in her head. Harry had speculated that the first part referred to merpeople in the Black Lake, but as for recovering what had been taken, they were all at a complete loss.

Staring up at the clock on the wall, Shaye noted the time. Harry, Ron and Hermione would still be in the library. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Shaye leaned back against the bed's headboard and closed her eyes. As soon as she did so, she saw her dad's face in the darkness and her breathing hitched. The next thing Shaye knew, she was jumping out of bed, throwing on a sweater and rushing out the door of her dormitory.

It was just after dinner, so Shaye knew that the common room would still be full of Gryffindors. She could hear their voices as she descended the steps and hoped that they would all give her a little bit of space and simply ignore her, which they had been able to do so perfectly when they had pinned her and Harry as a couple of cheats. Oh, how Shaye wished she could go back to being hated instead of pitied.

By then, the whole school had heard about poor Shaye Frazier's dead dad. The once heroic dragon-rider had been bedridden and rumours had even circled that she had quit the tournament altogether and gone home. The rumours were wrong, of course; they usually were. But still, kids seemed shocked when they saw her enter the common room.

Quills dropped onto tabletops, books were shut, conversations hushed. All eyes turned to gawk at the devastated champion. Then the whispering started. Shaye heard faint snippets of the conversations as she stood by the stairs, unsure if she should continue on or turn around and go back to bed.

"Wow, she's so brave."

"Do you think she's competing tomorrow?"

"I heard her dad isn't actually dead. She just made it up to gain support for her and Potter."

"I thought she went home."

"All right, everyone!" a stern voice cut through the blatant gossip. George rose from the corner of the room where he had been sitting with Fred and Lee. "Show a little respect. Stop your staring and go back to your mediocre lives. There's nothing to see here."

Shaye felt a wave of relief wash over her and she smiled as George moved across the room toward her, threw an arm over her shoulders and led her out of the common room. Once they were in the much emptier corridor, she exhaled. 

"Thank you." Shaye looked up at George and realized that even though she hadn't seen him much at all in months, he still looked the same as she remembered. Usually, over the summer, the twins got taller or their hair got longer. Over these months, however, he had stayed the same.

"Don't mention it." George brushed it off as no big deal. His eyes then softened as he looked down at her. "You doing okay?"

Shaye shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea how to answer that question anymore. She certainly felt better than she had on the night of the Yule Ball, but she felt guilty for slowly getting over her grief. She didn't know what the right amount of time to grieve the death of a loved one was. She figured it was probably different for everyone, but she wasn't sure. 

"I guess so," she answered. "The world feels dimmer now that I know he isn't in it anymore. I just miss him, you know? I wish we hadn't parted on such awful terms the last time we saw each other."

"I'm sorry for your loss," George said. "I haven't gotten a chance to tell you that yet."

"Thank you." Shaye absentmindedly reached out and brushed her fingertips against George's hand. "I've missed you."

George smiled, his fingers wrapping around Shaye's pinky finger; so as to hold her hand, but not really. "I've missed you too."

Shaye felt a tear drip from her eye and quickly wiped it away. She had been so close to losing George before and now that she actually _had_ lost someone in her life, she didn't want to let go of anyone else that meant something special to her. 

"About what you said at the ball . . ." she started.

"No. Don't." George stopped her.

"But I want you to-"

"I know," he told her. "You don't have to say it. You don't have to worry about that right now."

"Okay." Shaye slid her pinky finger out of his loose grip and forced a smile. "Well, I'm off to prepare for the second task tomorrow. Wish me luck."

George smirked. "You don't need it."

"Can you wish me luck anyway?"

"Good luck." 

Shaye smiled for real that time. "Will you be there tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Will you wish me luck again tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

"Okay."

With that, Shaye turned on her heel and headed off down the corridor toward the library. Students stared and whispered as she passed but she didn't care in the least. In fact, she barely even noticed. She was too busy thinking about the comforting weight of George's arm over her shoulders or the spark she had felt when their fingers had touched.

That was when Shaye decided that she did, in fact, fancy George Weasley. 

Pushing open the heavy library doors, Shaye followed the sounds of the three voices she recognized and eventually came upon Harry, Ron and Hermione between two bookshelves. Harry was sitting, his head resting on an open book. Ron had fallen asleep in one of the chairs with the golden egg perched in his lap, his head tilted back as he snored softly. And Hermione was pacing the shelves, scanning the various book titles.

The only light was a series of soft yellow glows coming from the desk lamps, which illuminated the spines of the books beautifully. It looked very cozy. 

"Hey," Shaye announced herself. "Figured you could use a fourth brain working on this."

Harry smiled. "We'd love one," he said. He didn't mention her dad or the fact that they were all worried about her. Instead, he welcomed her drive to help and greeted her with open arms.

Ron continued snoring. Hermione smiled again before insisting they get back to work. There wasn't much time left before the library would close and they would be sent to bed, whether they were ready or not.

"Harry, tell me again." Hermione requested.

Harry lowered his head and rested his chin on the open book. "'Come seek us where our voices sound.'"

"The Black Lake, that's obvious," Hermione said as a stack of books floated past her on their way to reshelve themselves. She passed by Ron and shook him awake.

"'An hour long you'll have to look." Harry recited the next part.

"Again, obvious. Though, admittedly, potentially problematic."

Harry glared at her. "'Potentially problematic'? When's the last time you held your breath underwater for an hour, Hermione?"

Hermione noticed the look of defeat on Harry's face. "Look, Harry, we can do this. The four of us can figure it out."

"Hermione's right." Shaye agreed. "When was the last time we weren't able to figure something out when we put our minds to it?"

Before either of them could answer the question, Mad-Eye emerged from the shelves. "Hate to break up the skull session," he said. "Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office."

Unsure of who he was speaking to, all four of them started for the door. 

"Not you two." Mad-Eye pointed at Shaye and Harry. "Just Weasley and Granger."

"But, sir, the second task is only hours away, and-" Hermione started.

"Exactly." Mad-Eye cut her off. "Presumably Potter and Frazier are well prepared by now and could do with a good night's sleep. Go. Now!"

Setting the golden egg down on the table, Ron led the way out of the library with Hermione following close behind, which left Shaye and Harry alone with the stacks of books that Hermione had collected.

"Longbottom!" Mad-Eye shouted at the passing boy, startling both Shaye and Harry. "Why don't you help Potter and Frazier put their books back?"

Mad-Eye then hobbled out of sight as Neville wandered over. Neville took a look at the many Herbology books in Harry's and Shaye's hands and his eyes lit up. "You know, if you're interested in plants, you'd be better off with Goshawk's Guide to Herbology," he said. "Do you know there's a wizard in Nepal who's growing gravity-resistant trees?"

Harry huffed. "Neville, no offence, but we really don't care about plants. Now, if there's a Tibetan turnip that will allow us to breathe underwater for an hour then great. But otherwise . . ."

"I don't know about a turnip. But you could always use gillyweed."

═══════════════

Bright and early the next morning, Shaye found herself walking down to the Black Lake with Harry and Neville. She hadn't had any nightmares the night before, but that was simply attributed to the fact that she had been so worried about the second task that she had barely gotten a wink of sleep in the first place. That meant that she was pretty exhausted, but by the size of the bags under Harry's eyes, he was too.

Shaye heard Fred prompting people to place their bets before the task and turned around expecting to see George with him. The twin, however, was alone; moving through the crowd by himself with the open briefcase strapped around his own neck.

"Three lads! Two ladies! Five go down, but do five come up?!"

Shaye was about to call out to Fred and ask him about the whereabouts of George, but before she could, Neville pulled a handful of gillyweed out of his pocket and divvied it up between Shaye and Harry. The plant was slimy and wet and Shaye hated holding it in her hand, nevermind the fact that she would be having to eat it in about an hour.

"You're sure about this, Neville?" Harry asked for about the tenth time.

"Absolutely."

"For an hour?" Shaye double-checked.

"Most likely."

Harry's face paled. "Most likely?"

Neville shrugged. "Well, there is some debate among herbologists as to the effects of freshwater versus saltwater."

"You're telling us this now?" Harry looked down at the plant in his hand. "You must be joking!"

"It's fine," Shaye told Harry. "If we pull ourselves together and get this task over with as smoothly and as quickly as possible, we shouldn't need the full hour anyway."

"I just wanted to help," Neville said.

Harry looked back over his shoulder and huffed. "Well, that makes you a right sight better than Ron and Hermione. Where are they anyway?"

Shaye sighed as she climbed into one of the many wooden boats docked in the Black Lake; the boats that were to take the students and champions to the middle of the lake where three large wooden structures stood. That was to be the location of the second task.

Shaye, like Harry, hadn't seen Ron and Hermione all morning, but then again, she hadn't seen George either. It was weird that their closest friends and those who made up their support system had suddenly all vanished at the same time. Shaye and Harry didn't have time to worry about it though.

"You seem a little tense, Harry." Neville pointed out.

Harry gritted his teeth. "Do I?"

Neville, noticing this was a rhetorical question, didn't answer. Instead, the three sat in silence all the way to the wooden structures. All three structures had one large platform at the top for the spectators to stand with three smaller platforms below it for the overflow. There was then a final platform a meter or so above the water where the champions, their friends, and many of the teachers stood.

Shaye, standing on the wooden platform with her bare feet and wearing nothing but a red one-piece bathing suit in the brisk spring morning air, shook her hands to release her nerves and to warm herself up a bit. Every few seconds she would look around for Ron, Hermione or George, but they were nowhere to be found.

 _"Welcome to the second task!"_ Dumbledore's voice echoed through all three structures and out over the lake. _"Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These five treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough, except for this: they will have but an hour to do so, and one hour only. After that, they'll be on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon."_

Shaye looked up at the clocktower perched upon the middle wooden structure, the one she and the other champions were shivering upon, and watched as the large black hands ticked by. Time seemed to be moving incredibly slow as she watched it but she was sure that as soon as the task had started, an hour would feel like a minute.

"Little adjustment for you two." Mad-Eye walked up behind Shaye and Harry and gave his wand a flick. At once, Shaye's left hand fused with Harry's right, their skin becoming attached as if they had been born that way. "Gotta make it a little harder. Now put that gillyweed in your mouth."

Having no time to question the fact that their arms now moved as one, Shaye and Harry put the gillyweed into their mouths, unsure if they should try and chew the slippery plant that squished between their teeth or simply let it slide down their throats as is. 

As soon as they had swallowed the gillyweed, they both began to cough violently. Mad-Eye gave them both a hardy smack between the shoulder blades and as the cannon sounded and the three other champions dove into the water gracefully, he pushed the two Gryffindors in and they crash into the lake as a conjoined mass of flailing limbs.

Shaye swore she saw her dad's reflection in the lake as she hurdled toward it. Everything moved so fast, however, that she couldn't be sure. She didn't have time to be sure.

The water, of course, was freezing cold, but that was the least of the Gryffindor Glory Team's worries. Their limbs continued to thrash about as they struggled to figure out how to swim with their hands attached. Then, there was the issue of the fact that the gillyweed seemed to not be working. Shaye tried to inhale some of the water but found it just as unpleasant as the few times she had done it accidentally in the past. The water entered her lungs and she began to sputter and cough harder than she had been before.

Harry was clawing at his neck, trying to breathe, when all of a sudden, he fell still. Shaye felt relief at the same time. This time when she inhaled, she felt as though she were simply standing on land, breathing air the same she had every other minute of every other day of her life.

Looking over at Harry, Shaye noticed that three slits had formed onto either side of his neck. He had grown gills. When Shaye felt her own neck, she wasn't surprised at all to feel the slits in her own skin as well. Shaye and Harry shared a look of relief before glancing down at their hands and feet, which were now elongated and webbed. Perfect for swimming.

The gillyweed had worked. Neville was a hero.

Using their unattached hands, the two gave each other a webbed high-five before starting deeper into the lake. After a little bit of trial and error, they worked out how to swim at a decent pace with their hands attached. Functioning with three working limbs was definitely a little awkward, but they used their feet to propel themselves for the most part and when they did use their hands, used both of their outside hands at the same time and then their conjoined inner one.

Shaye hated this adjustment that they had to work around more than anything but she could see the reasoning behind it. She assumed it was so that they wouldn't be able to split up and were forced to work together.

Swimming deeper and deeper into the dark green lake, Shaye tried not to get too distracted by the vast amounts of seaweed and fish and other living organisms. She couldn't help but think that Neville would love it down there.

The bottom of the lake resembled a canyon, but underwater. There were cliffs and edges, high ridges with vast amounts of plant life and deep crevices so dark you couldn't even see the bottom. 

Shaye and Harry dove deeper and deeper, unsure of where they were going but positive that they would know it when they saw it. They were unable to communicate with each other besides shared looks and confusing hand signals, so for the most part, they had to rely on their friendship and hope the other person was thinking the same thing as they were.

As they ventured forward into the dark unknown, the faint sound of the most beautiful singing that Shaye had ever heard entered her ears. Harry perked at the sound, the expression on his face one of recognition. Without hesitation, he led the way forward, pushing through a dense group of tall, thick seaweed. Neither one of them could see where they were going, but when the singing got louder, they knew they were heading in the right direction.

In the distance, Shaye spotted Fleur making her way through the seaweed as well. A bubble of air surrounded her mouth and nose, which allowed her to breathe beneath the water. As quickly as she had been spotted, she was gone again, lost to the confusing maze of foliage.

Shaye, with her eyes focused on the spot where she had seen Fleur not seconds before, wasn't aware of the mermaid's presence until it was brushing past her and Harry, moving swiftly through the dark lake and, whether intended or not, paving a way for the two champions.

Following the mermaid, Shaye and Harry eventually navigated their way out of the forest of seaweed and came upon a series of stone archways, eroded by the water and covered in thick, blooming plant life. In the distance, through the arches, five silhouettes could be seen floating motionlessly. Shaye and Harry moved closer.

As the two passed through the archways, they became keenly aware of the many mermaids lurking in the depths, watching their every move but so far, playing no part in obscuring or distracting them.

It was then that Shaye realized the silhouettes were people; and not just random people, either. Arms outstretched, hair floating weightlessly around their faces and with ropes around their ankles that held them in place, Shaye immediately recognized Hermione, Ron, Cho and George. The fifth body belonged to a smaller girl and Shaye believed it to be the young girl that had arrived with the Beauxbatons ladies but she couldn't be sure.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Hermione, Ron and George hadn't simply refused to show up for the second task; they were a part of it. They were what had been taken from the champions to be retrieved. 

Ron was obviously for Harry and George was obviously for Shaye, which meant that Cho was for Cedric, Hermione was for Krum and, confirming Shaye's earlier suspicion, the girl was for Fleur.

Shaye thought for a moment about what Dumbledore had said at the start of the task; about the things stolen from the champions being a treasure of sorts. She looked at George and took in the rare moment where he wasn't shouting or laughing too loud or making jokes. He was just existing. At that moment, she wished she would have told him the night before that she forgave him . . . even if he already knew.

As Shaye and Harry approached Ron and George, their faces pale and almost unhuman looking as a result of the water and spells they were clearly under, they glanced over at Hermione. It felt wrong to leave her there, even though they knew that Krum was more than capable of fetching her for himself.

Working fast, Shaye and Harry untied the ropes from around the Weasley boys' ankles. Cedric appeared moments later, severing the rope around Cho's ankle with a burst of red sparks from his wand. He too had used the same Bubble-Head charm as Fleur who, as Shaye had just realized, was nowhere to be seen.

Cedric looked down at the two Gryffindors, tapping his watch with his wand in a warning fashion, silently telling them that the hour was almost up. Shaye and Harry nodded in understanding before Cedric took off again with Cho in tow. From what they could tell, he would be the first one to complete the task.

Harry drew his wand and aimed it at the rope around Hermione's foot, but before he could cast a single spell, a mermaid swam over and pressed the three spears of its trident against his neck. Two more mermaids appeared soon after, surrounding the duo.

"But she's my friend too." Harry managed to sputter out.

The mermaid bared its small, sharp teeth and let out a screech. Its features were almost human except that the eyes were too large, the same with the mouth, and the nose was too small. "Only one." the mermaid hissed before retreating just in time to avoid being accosted by the incoming shark.

Shaye jumped at first when she saw the shark's head but as it passed her without so much as a glance in her direction, she noticed that it wasn't a real shark at all (not that there were any real sharks living in the Black Lake anyway.) It was only Krum, who had transfigured his head into one of a shark's, allowing him to breathe easily underwater.

Krum bit through the rope holding Hermione in place like butter with his shark teeth and swam off with her right away, not bothering to stick around any longer than he needed to. Shaye and Harry, however, were still just treading water in place, their eyes shifting between Ron, George and the small girl who had yet to be claimed.

As Harry looped his one arm around Ron and Shaye looped her's around George, the two started to swim for the surface. Harry, however, took one final look at the girl and slowed his pace. Shaye instantly knew what he was thinking.

Shaye had seen the time on Cedric's watch when he had warned them. The hour was nearly up and they needed to have their heads above water before the little hand struck twelve or they would be disqualified. Before this moment Shaye had never really cared about the tournament and whether she made it to the end or not, but now that the possibility of failure was being dangled before her eyes, taunting her, she resented it. 

She had had enough failure in her life. She just wanted this. She _needed_ this. However . . . she also knew that, like Harry, she couldn't leave that little girl suspended there, awaiting a rescue that might never come. At that moment, it was unknown to Shaye and Harry that Fleur had given up halfway through the task. All they knew was that, despite not knowing what would happen to the girl if the hour completed and she still sat at the bottom of the lake, they couldn't leave without her.

Shaye looked to Harry. Harry looked to Shaye. They gave each other an understanding nod. 

Harry drew his wand once more and, just like Cedric had done, severed the rope around the girl's ankle with a spell that he had muttered so faintly that Shaye hadn't been able to hear.

With three unconscious bodies and only three separate hands between the two of them, Shaye and Harry started moving up toward the surface of the lake. That was when Shaye noticed it was becoming harder to breathe. When Harry looked down at his fingers and toes, he noticed the webbing started to recede. The gillyweed was wearing off. 

Shaye could feel her lungs beginning to burn so she kicked her legs harder. Then there was a sudden pull downward. The mermaids had noticed that Shaye and Harry had taken the girl, who was not theirs to take, and had sent their minions to stop them.

The small creatures, which were almost alien-like with octopus legs grabbed hold of Shaye's and Harry's legs, pulling them down deeper and deeper and preventing them from leaving with the young Beauxbatons girl. Shaye recognized them as grindylows. Unfortunately, knowing what they were didn't make them any less menacing. 

Soon, Shaye and Harry were swarmed by the grindylows. Thinking fast, the duo gave Ron, George and the girl a push toward the surface and watched as they slowly rose through the lake. Shaye and Harry were still being attacked but at least the three innocent members in this twisted task would reach the surface safely.

Shaye clawed at her throat where the gills used to be and longed for the brief period of time that she had felt the unnatural slits there. Before long, there were so many grindylows swimming around Shaye and Harry that they could barely tell if they were making any progress getting to the surface or if they were simply sinking deeper and deeper.

The fact that the duo had their hands attached at the wrist wasn't helping either. When one went to swat one way and the other moved in the opposite direction, they ended up counteracting each other and taking two steps backwards instead of two steps forward.

Shaye reached for her wand and with the last few breaths of air she had left in her lungs, cast stupefy. The grindylows froze at the blast of red light and stayed stunned in the water for a few seconds before swimming away. They had finally given up on Shaye and Harry but by then, there wasn't much left to attack anyway. Both champions watched the surface get further and further away as they sunk deeper into the lake, the gillyweed completely worn off and the air drained from their lungs. They had no energy left to swim.

Shaye felt her eyes begin to close and tried to fight it. That was when she saw Harry draw his wand one final time. " _Ascendio!_ " he said with whatever reserve strength he had left in him. 

Harry immediately began to shoot toward the surface, dragging Shaye along with him. Shaye could almost feel the air entering her lungs . . . and then their wrists separated and while Harry continued to shoot upward, Shaye began to sink again. The clock had struck twelve. The hour was up. The spell had worn off.

Shaye watched with heavy eyelids as Harry broke through the surface of the lake. At least he was okay. At least he and Ron and George and the Beauxbatons girl had made it. Four survivors and one casualty was a pretty good turn out in the end.

Suddenly, Shaye didn't feel affected by the cold water anymore. Now, it felt like a warm blanket wrapping her in an even warmer hug; a welcoming hug. She felt the seaweed caressing her skin and watched as the fish swam around her, unbothered by her presence. She was one of them now; a part of the lake.

Shaye was just about to close her eyes and let the warm embrace whisk her away to somewhere happier, somewhere where her lungs didn't burn and her muscles didn't ache . . . then she saw him. A glimmer of his form at the surface of the water, then a hand reaching down toward her. It was her dad. He was here to save her. 

Shaye reached out weakly, and although she was meters below the surface, she swore she felt her fingertips brush his. She began to kick without knowing it and a surge of adrenaline washed through her body. She had decided that she would not die . . . not today, not like this. 

Shaye wasn't quite sure how she found the strength within herself to swim to the surface. The only thing she knew was that when she finally reached the spot where she had seen her father waiting for her, she half expected there to be an invisible barrier just like there had been in her dream. There was no barrier though and as she breached the surface the only thing she was aware of was the heavenly feeling of sweet, crisp spring air filling her lungs. 

Then she began to cough and about a cup or so of lake water projected out of her mouth and spilled out of her lips. 

She didn't hear the cheering or deafening applause or the people shouting for her to get out of the water. All she heard was the sound of her own heartbeat thundering in her ears. Suddenly, the warmth was gone and she was freezing. Teeth chattering, she turned toward the platform where an entire group of people were holding their hands out for her, beckoning her closer so that they could pull her out of the lake and wrap her in the towels they had waiting.

Before Shaye knew it, she was out of the cold water and wrapped in a warm hug after all; the warm hug of five thick towels draped over her body. Shaye heard Dumbledore calling for all of the judges to gather but the last thing she cared about right then was the score. Ten minutes ago, at the bottom of the lake, failure had seemed like the worst thing in the world. Now, however, she was just grateful she had survived.

One thought did plague her mind, however. Had the fact that she had surfaced after the hour was up disqualified her and Harry?

"I'm sorry." Harry coughed. "I thought I could get us both out of there. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Shaye barely had the strength to rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

"You saved her, even though she wasn't yours to save." Fleur bent down in front of Shaye and Harry with the little girl in tow. "My little sister. Thank you."

Fleur then planted a great big kiss onto Harry's forehead and pulled Shaye in for a bone-crushing hug. As Fleur then went on to thank Ron for helping (which he absolutely didn't do in the slightest), Shaye stood up to get away from all of the overwhelming attention. It was then that she spotted George, drenched from head toe, dripping water everywhere and wrapped in a towel. Shaye remembered the time last year when he had been pestering her while she was doing homework, his Quidditch uniform soaking wet while he dripped all over the couch in the common room without a care in the world.

She smiled. Then her emotions took over and she had to do more than smile. "I forgive you!" she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I was pissed when you didn't show up this morning like you said you would and then I saw you at the bottom of the lake and I wished I would have said it before and . . . and . . . I forgive you!"

"I know you do." George looked deep into Shaye's green eyes. "But after what you just did, how could I not? You almost just died saving my life. It was . . . it was . . ."

"Stupid?"

"The most spectacular thing I've ever seen." he corrected. "Even though I didn't see a single second of it because I was unconscious. And thank Merlin I was because the bottom of that lake does not sound like a nice place, from what I've heard."

Shaye laughed. "It's not the lake itself that's horrible. It's what lives _inside_ the lake."

George grinned. "I can't wait to hear the story."

"Shaye!" Hermione was calling her over. "They're just about to announce the scores."

"Okay!" Shaye called back and turned to leave, but before she could, George grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back.

"Thank you," George said and somehow, without knowing how, exactly, Shaye knew that he was being the most sincere he had ever been in his life. 

Shaye didn't know what came over her next. Maybe it was the fact that she had almost died and had gained a newfound respect for how precious life was or because the recent loss of her father had reminded her just how precious the ones you care about are, but either way, for once in her life, she decided to show how she felt instead of saying it. After all, actions do speak louder than words.

Planting her cold, pale hands onto George's cold, pale cheeks, she reached up onto her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss to his cold, pale lips. Fred and Lee and a few bystanders make a few obnoxious noises and started clapping George on the back but Shaye didn't stick around for that. 

She kissed George, smiled up at him and then left to be by Harry's side when the scores were announced.

"Attention!" Dumbledore quieted down the excited students. "The winner is Mr. Diggory, who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm. However, seeing as Mr. Potter and Miss Frazier would have finished first had it not been for their determination to save not only both the Weasley boys, but the others as well, we've agreed to award them second place for outstanding moral fiber!"

"Second place!" Hermione beamed. 

Shaye and Harry hugged each other, thankful to be able to move once again without being attached at the wrist. Turns out, Shaye surfacing after the hour was up hadn't counted against them since Harry had surfaced just in time. 

After that, no one wanted anything more than to change out of their sopping wet clothes and enjoy a warm cup of tea in front of the fire at Hagrid's. 

"All that moral fiber, eh?" George joked as he and Fred helped a shivering Ron out of the wooden boat. 

"Moral fiber?" Ron laughed as he looked over at Shaye and Harry. "Blimey. Even when you go wrong, it turns out right."

Fred smirked. "Yeah, well done, moral fiber."

It was then that Barty Crouch pulled Harry aside for a minute to talk. Shaye wondered what it was they were chatting about, but didn't wonder too hard. As she watched the two step off to the side of the trail, she turned back to the group, here eyes drifting between Ron and George, who were whipping each other with their towels, and wondered how on earth she was going to tell Ron that she had kissed his older brother. 


	56. Mystic Memories

"Now, I remember . . . I remember when I first met you all." Hagrid recalled fondly as he led Shaye, Harry, Ron and Hermione through the woods. After the second task, the four had gathered at his hut for a cup of tea. Afterwards, when Hagrid had needed to step outside for a bit to check on some of his creatures that lived among the trees, the students offered to join him.

Shaye and Harry were wearing their red champion sweaters, bits of their hair still a little damp from the lake. They were walking a meter or so ahead of Hagrid and the others, enjoying the cool evening breeze and the fact that there was only one more task remaining before they could finally be done with the Triwizard Tournament.

"Biggest bunch of misfits I ever set eyes on." Hagrid continued. "Suppose you remind me of meself a little. And here we all are, four years later."

Ron chuckled. "We're still a bunch of misfits."

"Well, maybe, but we've all got each other," Hagrid said. "And Harry and Shaye, of course. Soon to be the youngest Triwizard champions there's ever been! Hooray!"

Shaye couldn't help but smile. Despite the fact that she and Harry were clearly outmatched in this tournament, Hagrid never stopped believing in them. He was probably their biggest fan, alongside Ron and Hermione, of course.

Harry, however, didn't appear to have heard what Hagrid had said, or if he did, he hadn't really been listening. His eyebrows were knit together and he was wincing, his fingers brushing over his scar. Then his eyes settled on something on the ground.

Shaye followed Harry as he approached the object he had seen on the ground, which upon closer inspection, was a bowler hat. The black hat sat atop the twigs and dead leaves in the dirt, but yet, there wasn't a single scuff mark or spec of mud on the hat itself, indicating that it hadn't been there long.

That was when Harry rounded the trunk of the tree the hat was sitting beside and gasped. Lying on the ground, eyes wide open but unmoving, Barty Crouch appeared to be dead. 

"Mr. Crouch?" Harry asked. There was no response. 

Shaye alerted Hagrid right away and before she knew it, the once quiet woods were swarming with teachers and members of the Ministry. Barty Crouch's body was whisked away before anyone else could stumble upon it and all of the students were sent back to their dormitories; all of the students except for Shaye and Harry, who were sent up to Dumbledore's office, which apparently was a consequence of discovering a dead body.

As the golden gargoyle staircase completed its series of tight twists, bringing Shaye and Harry up to Dumbledore's office, the two students could hear voices from inside. Standing outside the thick, wooden door, they were unsure if they should knock right away or listen in for a little while.

"A man has died here, Fudge." Dumbledore's voice was loud and desperate. "And he won't be the last. You must take action."

"I will not." Fudge refused as Shaye and Harry took a step closer to the door. "In times like these, the wizard world looks to its leaders for strength, Dumbledore!"

"Then for once, show them some!"

"The Triwizard Tournament will not be cancelled. I will not be seen as a coward!"

"A true leader does what is right, no matter what others think."

"What did you say? What did you say to me?"

"Excuse me, gentlemen." a third voice spoke up. It was Mad-Eye. "It may interest you to know this conversation is no longer private."

As Shaye and Harry hurried to knock on the door, it swung open, revealing them standing outside with their knuckles raised. 

"Oh, Harry! Miss Frazier." Fudge chirped. "How good to see you again."

"We can come back later, Professor," Harry suggested.

Dumbledore waved his hand at the two students. "Not necessary. The Minister and I are done. I'll be back in a moment." Dumbledore ushered Fudge toward the door. "Oh, do feel free to indulge in a little Licorice Snap in my absence," he told Shaye and Harry. "But I have to warn you, they're a wee bit sharp."

With that, Dumbledore, Fudge and Mad-Eye filed out of the office, leaving Shaye and Harry alone in the dimly lit room. Fawkes, like always, was sitting on his perch beside Dumbledore's desk. The many trinkets and odd items that were displayed on the many shelves and in the many display cases were usually enough to keep someone occupied for a while, but Shaye wasn't in the mood to tour Dumbledore's vast collection of objects that evening. Seeing a dead body does that to a person.

Harry, who had decided to take Dumbledore up on his offer, grabbed a handful of Licorice Snaps. Shaye moved closer to the bowl and inspected the candies, which in her opinion, looked more like sharp stones than edible food.

It was then that the Licorice Snaps came to life in Harry's hands and began to bite at his fingers with their mouths full of sharp teeth. Shaye let out an involuntary chuckle as Harry jumped back and smacked into one of the many cabinets in the room. Harry shook his hand free of the candies before stomping at them on the ground.

"He did warn you," Shaye smirked.

Harry just huffed as he kicked one of the Licorice Snaps across the office. It was then that the cabinet that Harry had bumped into began to open, the doors folding inward to reveal an intricately designed stone basin of what looked like glowing blue water.

Unsure about what they had accidentally done what it was that they were looking at, they stepped closer to the basin. Inside the blue water were white, shimmering strands. Harry prodded the water with his wand and suddenly, where their reflections had been seconds before in the liquid, there was now a bright, golden room. 

Shaye and Harry, unknowing that it was the worst idea they could have had, leaned in closer to try and get a better look at the room depicted in the water. Seconds later, they were being pulled into the basin and were falling down from the ceiling. They both screamed until they landed in the warmly lit room, among the rows and rows of men. The only thing Shaye could compare the room to was a muggle courtroom. 

"Professor?" Harry looked over at the man next to them. It was Dumbledore, but a younger version of himself. His face had fewer wrinkles and his beard was much shorter. 

Dumbledore didn't seem to hear Harry, however, and only looked over when one of the other men greeted him. The two shook hands, their arms passing right through Shaye and Harry. Shaye thought the feeling would have been odd, only, she couldn't feel a thing.

"Where are we?" Shaye asked.

Harry shrugged. "No idea. But I don't think anyone else can see or hear us."

A mechanical noise then filled the room and in the middle of the circular rows of men, and behind numerous stacks of paper and files and documents, a man rose from the floor and into the cage-like contraption that had been set up. The man had long black hair, was wearing the striped clothes that associated one with Azkaban and was in handcuffs. He looked familiar, but Shaye assumed that it was probably a younger version of whoever she had come to know.

The cage was fitted with multiple spikes that faced inward at whoever was being questioned. In this case, it was the familiar-looking man. He eyed the spikes carefully, not even daring to move an inch in any direction. 

"Igor Karkaroff, you have been brought from Azkaban at your own request to present evidence to this council," a younger (and alive) Barty Crouch said. "Should your testimony prove consequential, council may be prepared to order your immediate release. Until such time, you remain in the eyes of the Ministry a convicted Death Eater. Do you accept these terms?"

Shaye and Harry stared wide-eyed at Igor Karakaroff. So Sirius had been right. He _was_ a Death Eater. The two looked to each other, confused. What, exactly, were they witnessing?

"I do, sir," Igor answered.

"And what do you wish to present?" Crouch asked.

"I have names, sir," Igor said. "There was Rosier, Evan Rosier."

An older gentleman with a short, neatly cut white beard, flipped through a small stack of parchment in his hand before passing one to Crouch. "Rosier is dead," Crouch confirmed from the parchment. 

"He took a piece of me with him though, didn't he?" Mad-Eye leaned down from behind Dumbledore and gestured to his fake eye. 

"Dead?" Igor looked awestricken. "I didn't know."

Crouch sighed. "If that is all the witness had to offer-"

"No, no, no," Igor begged. This younger version of him was so much less intimidating than the version Shaye knew. "There was Rookwood! He was a spy."

"Agustus Rookwood? Of the Department of Mysteries?" Crouch inquired. 

Shaye spotted Rita Skeeter pressed into the corner of the room, writing frantically onto her notepad. Of course, Rita would be here for something like this. Anything for a story.

"Yeah, yeah. The same." Igor nodded. "He passed information to You-Know-Who from inside the Ministry itself."

"Very well." Crouch seemed to consider this information. "Council will deliberate. In the meantime, you will be returned to Azkaban."

"No! Wait, please!" Igor pleaded desperately. "Please, I have more! What about Snape? Severus Snape?"

"As the council is very much aware, I've given evidence on this matter." Dumbledore rose from his seat to address the room. "Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater and, prior to Lord Voldemort's downfall, turned spy for us at great personal risk. Today he's no more a Death Eater than I."

Shaye heard herself gasp. Thankfully, no one else could.

"It's a lie!" Igor cried. "Severus Snape remains faithful to the Dark Lord!"

"Silence!" Crouch banged something heavy against the top of his desk. "Unless the witness possesses any genuine name of consequence, this session is now concluded."

"Oh, no, no, no, no." Igor was calm now. It seemed he had a trick up his sleeve that he couldn't wait to reveal. "I've heard about one more. I know for a fact this person took part in the capture and, by means of the Cruciatus Curse, torture of the Auror Frank Longbottom and his wife!"

Crouch nodded as the room filled with anticipation. "The name! Give me the wretched name!"

"Barty Crouch . . . Junior."

All heads turned to a young man, probably in his late twenties, who was in the process of trying to flee the room. When he realized he had been found out, he tried to make a run for it, but not before Mad-Eye was able to stun him. 

Barty Crouch Junior tumbled into the stacks of papers while others in the room rushed to hold him down. Barty Crouch Senior stared at his son, shock plastered across his face. 

"Hello, Father." Barty Crouch Junior smirked as the guards took him away. 

"You are no son of mine," Crouch said. 

Then, without so much as a warning, Shaye's and Harry's heads were being pushed out of the basin and they were thrown back into Dumbledore's office. The two fell to the floor, and when they stood to their feet again, noticed that Dumbledore was standing before them.

"Curiosity is not a sin," he told them. "But you should exercise caution."

Shaye looked down at the basin and its swirling blue water and shimmering white strands. "What-?" she started.

"It's a Pensieve," Dumbledore explained. "Very useful if, like me, you find your mind a wee bit stretched. It allows me to see once more things I've already seen. You see, I have searched and searched for something, some small detail, something I might have overlooked . . . something that would explain why these terrible things have happened. Every time I get close to an answer, it slips away. It's maddening."

Dumbledore, in a state of frustration, sat upon the stone steps that led up to his grand desk. 

"Sir? Mr. Crouch's son." Harry stepped closer. "What exactly happened to him?"

"He was sent to Azkaban," Dumbledore answered. "Destroyed Barty to do it. But he had no choice. The evidence was overwhelming. Why do you ask?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "It's just that I . . . I had a dream about him."

Shaye thought back to the dream that Harry had had over the summer; the one with Voldemort and Wormtail and the unknown man. Only, the unknown man wasn't unknown anymore. It was Barty Crouch Junior.

"It was in the summer, before school." Harry elaborated when Dumbledore gave him a look that said he wanted to know more. "In the dream, I was in a house. And Voldemort was there, only he wasn't quite human. And Wormtail was there too. And Mr. Crouch's son."

"Have there been others like this dream?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes." Harry nodded. "Always the same one. Sir, these dreams . . . what I see, you don't think it's actually happening, do you?"

Dumbledore, who had since wandered over to stare into the Pensieve, looked up at Harry. "I think it's unwise for you to linger over these dreams, Harry. I think it's best if you simply . . ." he pressed the tip of his wand to his forehead before extracting a white, wispy strand and placing it into the Pensieve's blue water, ". . . cast them away."

Noticing how late it was, Dumbledore then sent Shaye and Harry on their way and back to their common room. Heading down the dark corridor, the two friends were unsure what to say to one another about what they had just seen.

"Snape was a Death Eater." was all Shaye could think so say. 

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah . . ."

As the two turned a corner and headed down yet another dark, seemingly empty corridor, they slowed when they heard voices.

"It's a sign, Severus." Shaye recognized the voice immediately as Igor Karakroff's. How could she not? She had just been listening to him for ten straight minutes. "You know what it means as well as I."

All of a sudden, the door to one of the storage cupboards swung open, revealing Snape and Igor, who had his sleeve pulled up to reveal the Dark Mark on his forearm. Igor, surprisingly, didn't say a word and simply pulled his sleeve back down before marching out of the room and down the hall, his eyes staring daggers into Shaye and Harry as he went.

"You two!" Snape hissed as the two students tried to escape as well. "What's your hurry?"

Unwilling to have it out with Snape right then, especially now that they knew what he used to be . . . _or what he still was_ . . . they gave in and walked over to him.

"Congratulations, your performance in the Black Lake was inspiring," Snape said, his tone completely void of the usual cheerful pitch that usually came with a compliment. "Gillyweed, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir," Shaye responded. Harry nodded.

"Ingenious." Snape deadpanned as he turned and walked back into the storage cupboard, which just so happened to store quite a few ingredients for the potions classroom. "A rather rare herb, gillyweed. Not something found in your everyday garden. Nor is this."

Snape climbed the sturdy wooden ladder in the cupboard and snatched a small vial of something. "Know what it is?" Snape showed the vial to Shaye and Harry. 

"Bubble juice, sir?" Harry guessed.

"Veritaserum," Snape said. "Three drops of this and You-Know-Who himself would spill his darkest secrets. The use of it on a student is, regrettably, forbidden. However, should either one of you ever steal from my personal stores again, my hand might just slip over your morning pumpkin juice."

"We haven't stolen anything," Shaye assured Snape. 

"Don't lie to me." Snape enunciated every single word sharply. "Gillyweed may be innocuous, but boomslang skin, lacewing flies? You are your little friends are brewing Polyjuice Potion, and believe me, I'm going to find out why!"

Without another word, Snape slammed the cupboard door in Shaye's and Harry's faces. The two looked to each other, the same question bouncing around in their heads. This time, they weren't the ones brewing Polyjuice Potion. And if it wasn't them, then who was it? 


	57. The Third Task

With the sound of the roaring crowd and Hogwarts brass band welcoming them in, Shaye, Harry, Cedric, Krum and Fleur all stepped out into the grassy patch of land that stood between the stands full of cheering students and hedge maze that, while looking harmless enough, promised to provide a challenging final task in the Triwizard Tournament.

"This is it," Shaye told herself and Harry. "One last task and then we're home free."

The night before, Shaye had actually managed to get some sleep and instead of being plagued by nightmares, she was actually gifted with heart-warming dreams of her father. It was a welcomed surprise and made getting out of bed that morning ten times harder than it had been when she had been overcome with grief. All she had wanted to do was go back to sleep and enter a world where her father was still alive and they could live happily together. 

As Shaye scanned the faces in the crowd, a part of her looked for her father's face. She had seen him during the second task, and even though she knew that seeing dead people was not a healthy thing, she wanted more than anything in the world for one of the students' faces to morph into her father. She just wanted to see him smiling down at her. She just wanted him to be proud.

Among the crowd, however, she did see one person who made her feel better. George, who was standing with Fred and the others, was smiling wide and waving like a lunatic. "Potter and Frazier for the win!" he was shouting, trying to get the other students to join in. "Gryffindor Glory Team!"

Shaye waved back, his presence in the sea of students making her feel safer somehow even though she knew that if she or Harry got into trouble inside the maze, there was nothing that anyone could do for them.

"Silence!" Dumbledore stepped up to the wooden podium that stood in the middle of the grassy area and waited until the excitement had died down. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory, Mr. Potter and Miss Frazier are tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze."

Those dawning yellow and red jumped to their feet, shouting as loud as they could for the Hogwarts champions. Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, beamed at his son, a look of great pride on his face. Shaye felt her heart throb a little . . . she wished her father were there for her.

"Followed by Mr. Krum and Miss Delacour." Dumbledore continued, the visiting schools cheering just as loudly for their champions. "The first person, or team, to touch the cup will be the winner! I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. Should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wand." He then looked at Shaye and Harry specifically. "This decision should not be made lightly, for if one of you sends up sparks, you will both be pulled from the maze. So, I strongly suggest you stick together."

Shaye and Harry nodded understandingly.

"Contestants! Gather around. Quickly." Dumbledore beckoned the champions over to himself. He then lowered his voice so only the five competitors could hear him. "In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you'll face something even more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can. But be very wary, you could just lose yourselves along the way." Dumbledore then stepped back and turned toward the crowd. "Champions, prepare yourselves!"

This was it. The third task. The final task. All Shaye and Harry had to do now was make it through alive; the Triwizard Cup being of secondary priority to their lives.

With the crowd cheering once more, the champions each made their way to a separate entrance of the maze, allowing them each to start in a different spot. Shaye and Harry walked to the centermost entrance, where Mad-Eye was waiting for them. Somehow, along the way, he had become their mentor and they definitely wouldn't have made it through the first two tasks without him.

Feeling more nervous but also more anticipation than she had for either of the other two tasks, Shaye took the moment to take in the sight of her and Harry standing there in matching red and black outfits and treasure the great feats they had pulled off as a team thus far. 

Shaye turned to Harry and smiled. "Whatever happens in that maze—whether we win or lose—I just want you to know that I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

Harry smiled back. "Me either."

"On the count of three," Dumbledore announced. "One . . ."

And just like all the other times before, Filch set off the canon much too early. The brass band started up again and without any more waiting left to do, Shaye and Harry turned toward the dark, foggy entrance of the maze. Mad-Eye gave them each a pat on the shoulder and nod before sending them on their way.

Side by side, Shaye and Harry ventured into the maze. The path was so narrow that when they walked shoulder to shoulder, their opposite shoulder brushed against the rough pine needles of the hedge. As the two turned to take one final look at Mad-Eye, Dumbledore and the crowd, the maze entrance closed up, silencing the band and all other noises that indicated there were people on the other side.

Suddenly, it was just Shaye and Harry and the maze. Unable to see where the path ahead led, they stepped into the fog and searched for somewhere where they could make a turn or take a different path. 

At first, the maze had been deadly silent. But now, the further they got into it, small sounds could be heard. Shaye and Harry could never tell where they were coming from, as it sounded like it was coming from all directions at the same time, and they could also never tell what it was. Was it one of the other champions or something else?

With their wands drawn, the two moved through the pine-bordered paths slowly, jumping at every sound and deliberating for far too long whether to take a turn or not. 

"This place is twenty times worse than the dragons or the lake," Shaye said. "I don't even care about winning. I just want to get out of here."

"Just keep moving," Harry told her. "We'll get through this. Just like we did with the dragons and just like we did with the lake."

Shaye nodded. "Yeah, you're probably-"

Shaye was cut off by an echoed scream. It was faint and distant but it was too high-pitched to belong to Cedric or Krum. It was Fleur.

Without warning, Harry took off in the direction of the sound. Shaye didn't have a chance to ask him if he thought running toward a blood-curdling scream was really the best idea, so she reluctantly followed him. Running towards a scream was bad but splitting up was worse.

The two ran aimlessly through the maze, unsure if they were even heading in the right direction or not. They made a right turn and then a left and then one more right. The paths were long and dark and foggy and it was impossible to tell one from another. For all anyone knew, they could simply be running in circles.

Harry suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, holding his arm out to stop Shaye before she barrelled into him. Shaye opened her mouth to ask what was happening but then she heard footsteps. Following Harry's lead, she held her breath and pressed herself as far into the pine needles as possible. 

The needles pressed deep into her skin and hurt like crazy but as soon as Shaye saw Krum emerge, his face void of emotion and his eyes milky and glazed over, she pressed even further into them.

In the process of retreating more, Shaye accidentally stepped on a twig. Krum whipped around, the light from the end of his wand illuminating their faces as well as his. He looked even more terrifying up close, his skin shiny with sweat. Something had clearly happened to him. Was this what Dumbledore had meant when he had said they could lose themselves in the maze?

Shaye and Harry stared back at Krum, scared out of their minds about what he might do to them. In the end, however, he simply lowered his wand and walked away, disappearing into the fog and darkness.

Shaye and Harry exhaled quickly before rounding the corner just in time to see the remaining bits of Fleur's baby-blue tracksuit being pulled into the hedge. Vines were curled around her every limb and she was unconscious. Unable to help her at that point, Harry did the only thing he could think of and sent up red sparks with his wand. 

" _Periculum_!" he shouted, hoping that one of the teachers would get there in time to save her.

As soon as the red sparks exploded into the dark evening sky, a rough wind began to blow through the maze, bringing up dust and dirt and leaves with it. Shaye coughed and covered her eyes as the debris blew into her face. With watering eyes, she was trying to catch her breath again when Harry suddenly grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her along with himself.

"Run!" Harry yelled.

"What?" Shaye looked back over her shoulder to see that the maze was closing up behind them, threatening to swallow them whole. 

With the pine needles nipping at their backs, the duo made a sharp right turn and jumped into one of the adjacent paths. The maze continued to close up the path which they had just been on, leaving them no choice but to continue forward. For the time being, they were safe.

As Shaye and Harry turned around to venture down the path they had just turned onto, they both froze at the sight of a faint blue glow in the distance. Without hesitation, they both started to run toward it. 

"Get down!" Cedric suddenly appeared out of nowhere as a blast of light shot toward him. Coming from the opposite direction, Krum was hunting Cedric down, his milky eyes glued to the Hufflepuff boy like he was his prey.

Shaye and Harry dropped to the dirt, hands over their heads. 

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Cedric cast the spell at Krum, knocking him onto his back. He then ran over and kicked Krum's wand out of his hand, disarming him. Grimacing, he aimed his wand at Krum, ready to end him.

"No!" Harry jumped up and grabbed Cedric's arm. "Don't! Stop! He's bewitched, Cedric!"

"Get off me!" Cedric shoved Harry out of the way before turning and making a run for the Triwizard Cup. 

Without thinking, Shaye and Harry chased after him. They were this close now and since it was just the three of them left, they might as well fight for the win.

The three Hogwarts champions shoved each other out of the way, grabbing clothing and tripping legs as they darted closer and closer toward the glorious blue glow. 

With only a few meters left to go, the maze started to fight back. Roots and vines popped out of the dirt, tripping them up and trying to tangle around their ankles. The maze started closing in on them, whipping them in the faces with branches and shoved pine needles into their eyes.

Shaye could just about feel the blue glow on her face when Cedric let out a scream and collided with the ground. The vines had gotten ahold of him and were slowly swallowing him into the maze, just like they had with Fleur.

Shaye and Harry instinctively slowed at the same time. Turning around, they watched as Cedric clawed at the dirt, trying to break free from the impossibly strong hold of the vines. It was no use though. He was going to be lost to the pine hedges unless Shaye and Harry stepped in to help.

They looked toward the Cup and then back and Cedric and knew that it was the right thing to do. Throughout the whole tournament, they had been helping each other. In a way, it had almost been like the three Hogwarts champions versus the two others. 

Cedric was one of them and they couldn't leave him to be devoured by the maze.

"Harry!" Cedric screamed out as he grew weaker and weaker. "Shaye!"

"Oh, screw it." Shaye huffed, drew her wand and shouted, " _Reducto!_ "

A blast of white light shot out at the vines and as they began to retreat and slither away, Harry ran over and helped Cedric to his feet again. 

"Thanks." Cedric wheezed. 

"No problem." Shaye and Harry replied in unison.

Cedric smiled faintly. "You know, for a moment there, I thought you were gonna let it get me."

"For a moment, so did I," Harry said. 

Cedric nodded. "Some game, huh?"

"Some game," Shaye repeated. 

Then, just like before, the wind picked up and the maze started to close in on them. Turning toward the Cup, the three of them sprinted toward the blue glue that drew them in like a lighthouse on a dark, misty night at sea.

When it was just the three of them standing in front of the Triwizard Cup, no one reached out for it.

"Take it!" Cedric insisted. "You saved me! Go on, take it!"

"Together." Harry compromised. "One, two . . ."

And on three, with the pine needles scratching at their backs, they all grabbed hold of the Cup at the same time. All at once, there was a flash of blue light and they were hurtling through the air. Shaye had only ever felt this feeling once and that was when they had all used the boot portkey to arrive at the Quidditch World Cup.

Shaye's mind raced. Dumbledore had never said anything about the Cup being a portkey.

Then, with a rough landing, the three of them smacked into the ground, the Cup flying out of their hands and landing a few meters away. Shaye sputtered a little after having the wind knocked out of her, but when she finally composed herself and took a look at her surroundings, she was taken aback by what she saw.

Instead of her, Harry and Cedric being transported back to the starting point of the third task, they had somehow ended up in the middle of a dark graveyard. 

"You okay?" Cedric asked.

Shaye and Harry nodded. "Yeah, you?" Harry asked.

Cedric didn't really answer. Instead, he let out a low grunt as he pushed himself to his feet and observed the graveyard. "Where are we?" he inquired as a raven landed on a nearby headstone.

Harry, who was eyeing a large statue of a cloaked figure with wings and a scythe, gasped. "I've been here before," he said. In front of the statue, there was a single cauldron. 

"It's a portkey." Cedric noted as he bent down in front of the Triwizard Cup. "The Cup is a portkey."

Shaye nodded. Harry, however, wasn't paying attention to Cedric in the slightest. "I've been here before, in a dream," he said before turning to the gravestone beside the statue. The gravestone was marked **Tom Riddle**.

Shaye ran her fingers along the letters and shook her head. "This isn't good."

"No, it isn't." Harry agreed. "We have to get back to the Cup. Now!"

"What are you talking about?" Cedric furrowed his brows.

It was then that the sound of a door creaking open could be heard. Across from the statue, there was a stone building, and out of the stone building stepped Peter Pettigrew. At once, a flame burst to life underneath the Cauldron.

Harry doubled over in pain, his scar burning more than it had in a very long time. "Get back to the Cup!" he told Shaye and Cedric. 

Looking over, Shaye watched as Peter Pettigrew stepped into the flickering light of the fire. In his arms, he was holding a small, withered body wrapped in a black blanket. When the small body squirmed, revealing its pale, sunken face, there was no denying who it was. It was Voldemort.

While Shaye stayed by Harry's side, Cedric rounded on Peter and Voldemort (which he wouldn't have done had he known who they really were.) "Who are you?" Cedric demanded. "What do you want?"

"Cedric, no!" Shaye tried to stop him but it was already too late.

"Kill the spare," Voldemort demanded in a weak, wheezy voice.

Without hesitation, Peter drew his wand and aimed it at Cedric. "Avada Kedavra!" he snarled.

With a flash of green light, Cedric's body hurtled through the air before smacking back down into the grass, his body rigid and his eyes wide open. He resembled Barty Crouch, and just like Barty Crouch, he was dead.

"Cedric!" Harry screamed. "No!"

Aiming his wand at the two remaining alive students, Peter forced them to their feet and lifted them into the air, where the statue then clamped the stone handle of its scythe into their chests, holding them in place. 

Shaye's feet kicked wildly while her chest fought to rise against the stone restraint. Fear was coursing through her body and she had no idea how to get out of this; and by the looks of things, neither did Harry.

"Do it now," Voldemort said. 

Peter then carried the Dark Lord over to the cauldron and dumped his pale, sickly body into the boiling liquid. Shaye and Harry could do nothing else but watch.

"Bone of the father, unwillingly given," Peter added a single bone into the cauldron, from which he had taken from the grave of Tom Riddle (who shared a headstone with his father, Thomas Riddle.) "Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed." Peter then drew a blade and, with one clean slice, severed his hand and let it fall into the cauldron. He let out a scream of agony and Shaye and Harry couldn't help but wince. "And blood of the enemy . . . forcibly taken." 

Peter approached Harry and used the same blade to slice his forearm and take some of his blood. He then let the blood drip into the cauldron. "The Dark Lord shall rise again," Peter said as the cauldron itself burst into flames. 

Harry was still screaming, both from the pain of his scar and of his forehead. Shaye was on the verge of screaming out of pure terror but she was using every bit of self-restraint to hold it in. She had to stay sharp if she hoped to get out of this, and in order to do that, she needed to stay calm.

That being said, Shaye couldn't deny the absolute terror that washed over her body as she watched Voldemort rise from the flames. This was the first time she was ever seeing him in his true form and the very look of him alone, with his black cloak, white skin and slits for a nose (that resembled a snake), was enough to make someone jump right out of their skin.

Inhaling deeply, Voldemort ran his thin, bony hands over his bald head, relishing in the fact that he was a physical being once more. Then, with bare feet, he stepped toward Peter. "My wand, Wormtail." he requested.

Peter drew a unique, white wand from his cloak and handed it over with a bow. Shaye felt sickened by the scene she was witnessing. How could anyone be so devout to such a horrible person?

Shaye and Harry then watched as Voldemort branded Peter with the Dark Mark. He had gained another loyal Death Eater. Thunder clapped in the sky as a skull formed out of the black clouds. From the skull's mouth, a snake appeared. It was just like the mark that had been on display at the Quidditch Cup. 

From said mark, six black tufts of smoke shot down toward the ground, quickly materializing into cloaked people with pointed hoods and skull masks covering their faces. The Death Eaters stood around Voldemort, waiting to be addressed. 

Shaye and Harry watched on in horror.

"Welcome, my friends." Voldemort spun to observe his followers. "Thirteen years it's been, and yet . . . here you stand before me as though it were only yesterday. I confess myself, disappointed. Not one of you tried to find me. Crabbe! Macnair! Goyle!" he pulled the masks from some of the Death Eaters and watched as their bodies turned to ash before him. "Not even you . . . Lucius."

Voldemort pulled the mask from Lucius Malfoy's face and watched as he dropped to his knees before him.

"My Lord, had I detected any sign, a whisper of your whereabouts . . ." Lucius tried to defend himself.

"There were signs, my slippery friend." Voldemort snapped. "And more than whispers."

"I assure you, my Lord, I have never renounced the old ways." Lucius removed his hood and stood to his feet once more. "The face I have been obliged to present each day since your absence . . . that is my true mask."

"I returned." Peter stepped forward, cradling the arm with the missing hand. 

Voldemort rounded on Peter and the rat of a man instantly cowered before him. "Out of fear, not loyalty," Voldemort told him. "Still, you have proved yourself useful these past few months, Wormtail."

With the wave of his wand, Voldemort replaced Peter's severed hand with a silver one. "Thank you, master." Peter gawked at the new appendage. 

Voldemort then turned and, upon spotted Cedric's body, slinked over and pressed his bare foot against his face. "Such a handsome boy." he tsked.

"Don't touch him!" Harry spat. 

Voldemort then looked up at the two students as if he were just noticing them then. "Harry. I'd almost forgotten you were here," he said. "Standing on the bones of my father. I'd introduce you, but word has it you're almost as famous as me these days. The boy who lived. How lies have fed your legend, Harry. Shall I reveal what really happened that night 13 years ago? Shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers? Yes, shall I? 

"It was love. You see, when dear, sweet Lily Potter gave her life for her only son, she provided the ultimate protection. I couldn't touch him. It was old magic. Something I should have foreseen. But no matter, no matter. Things have changed."

Voldemort suddenly rushed Harry, his finger lingering inches away from Harry's forehead. "I can touch you now." he pressed his finger to Harry's scar and Harry let out the most guttural scream that Shaye had ever heard. "Astonishing what a few drops of blood can do." Voldemort sneered. 

"Stop it!" Shaye shouted. "Stop hurting him! If you want to hurt an innocent child so badly, why don't you hurt me, huh? Leave Harry alone!"

"Innocent?!" Voldemort did as Shaye had asked and removed his finger from Harry's scar. "There is no 'innocent' here!"

Harry, who was gasping for breath after screaming himself blue, shook his head. "Just let Shaye go. She doesn't have anything to do with this."

"On the contrary. She has everything to do with this!" Voldemort argued. "I may have been gone for 13 years but I could still see and hear all. I've heard the whispers about Shaye Frazier just the same as I've heard the ones about Harry Potter. Sticking her nose in business to which doesn't concern her. Following in her sister's footsteps!"

Shaye felt her breathing hitch.

"Trusting the eldest Frazier daughter was a mistake on my part, I will admit," Voldemort confessed. "I was wrong to think the pureblood family of Frazier could ever be anything less than a family of blood traitors. That's why the curiosity must be snuffed out . . . silenced . . . just as I silenced your sister . . . just as I silenced your father . . . and just as I will silence you."

"You're the one who killed my father?!" Shaye felt her blood boil as she fought against the statue, just as unsuccessfully as before. "You . . . you . . . why?"

"Because he was meddling! Just like you! So I sent one of my loyal Death Eaters to put a stop to him." Voldemort snapped. "The treachery of your sister lives and dies with her and I will not allow another Frazier to get in my way!"

Shaye felt a sliver of warmth spread in her soul. So her sister _had_ been working against Voldemort. Whatever had happened that led to her working with him, she had seen the light in the end. Lorelei wasn't a Death Eater. Lorelei betrayed Voldemort.

"Where is my sister?" Shaye demanded. "What did you do to her?!"

Voldemort gave a lazy wave of his wand and the statue released both Shaye and Harry, dropping them to the ground. "Your sister got what she deserved . . . the Lost Wanderer's flame was extinguished." he deadpanned. "Now, pick up your wands."

"The Lost Wanderer . . ." Shaye slowly pushed herself to her feet, her head spinning. "My sister was . . . she was the . . .?"

"A foolish title for a foolish girl," Voldemort said. "I had hoped the blatant disregard for life might have been a character flaw in her alone, but I can see now it's a family trait. Thus why she needed to be dealt with. However, I think I'll be kind and offer you and Potter the same option as my Death Eater offered your father . . . a chance to duel for your life. Hopefully, you'll have a better outcome than he did."

Shaye wiped away the stray tear that had dripped down her cheek and drew her wand. Harry did the same. 

"You've been taught how to duel, I presume, yes?" Voldemort stalked to the other side of the graveyard, leaving a large gap between himself and the children. "First, we bow to each other. Come on, now. The niceties must be observed. Dumbledore wouldn't want you to forget your manners, would he? I said, bow."

Voldemort sneered and flicked his wand in Shaye and Harry's direction. All of a sudden, both children let out a groan of pain, their bodies contorting into a forced bow even though they tried to fight it. Shaye felt the muscles in her stomach tighten as she leaned forward.

"That's better. And now . . ." Voldemort flicked his wand again and both Shaye and Harry fell to the ground. " _Crucio!_ "

One second, Shaye was lying on the grass, staring up at the dark sky and listening to Harry scream beside her. The next, she was overcome with the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire life. It felt as though every single nerve in her body was on fire. Yelping and screeching, she twisted in the grass, trying to find a more comfortable position to lie in. There was no comfortable position.

"Attaboy, Harry." Voldemort focused his attention on Harry as he lowered his wand. The pain seeped slowly out of Shaye. "Your parents would be proud. Especially your filthy muggle mother."

" _Expelliar_ -" Harry tried to defend himself but Voldemort was too quick. In a flash of red light, Harry rolled back through the grass. 

"Leave him alone!" Shaye snapped. Her entire body ached but still, she managed to crawl over to Harry. 

Voldemort only smirked. "I'm going to kill you," he said matter-of-factly. "Both of you. I'm going to destroy you. After tonight, no one will ever again question my powers. After tonight, if they speak of you, they'll speak only of how you begged for death. And I, being a merciful Lord . . . obliged."

Shaye tried not to let Voldemort's words taint her mind and turn her remaining strength into fuel for her fear. She let his threats go in one ear and out the other, choosing instead to focus on how she and Harry would escape.

"Get up!" Voldemort used his powers again to drag Shaye and Harry to their feet. 

As Voldemort crossed the graveyard again, back in the direction of his waiting Death Eaters, Shaye and Harry tried to make a run for the Cup. 

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Voldemort yelled. An explosion of green sparks struck the ground in front of the students, causing them to duck behind a tombstone. "I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!"

Suddenly, rage filled Harry's being and Shaye could see it clear as day on his face. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his fingers around his wand and stepped out from behind the tombstone. Shaye stood up to follow but Harry shook his head. 

"Just me," Harry told her. "Someone has to get back and tell the others what happened. When you see your chance, run for the Cup. Don't look back."

"But Harry-"

"Just do it." Harry then turned to face Voldemort. "Have it your way. But you'll only duel me."

Voldemort simply shrugged. "I'll kill the girl after."

Then, before Shaye knew what was happening, the graveyard was basked in red and green light. 

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Harry shouted, red sparks shooting from the tip of his wand.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " Voldemort countered with the killing curse. Green light flashed from his wand.

In the middle of the graveyard, the two spells met in a blinding light. It was so bright that Shaye could barely look at it without her eyes burning, but just like a car crash, she couldn't possibly look away. She knew that now was her chance to make a run for the Cup but her feet felt cemented in place. She couldn't move. She couldn't leave Harry.

The ball of energy from the two spells colliding moved back and forth along the streams, masking the graveyard in a blanket of green and then a wave of red. 

When Voldemort's stream dwindled, almost reaching the tip of his wand, his Death Eaters started to grow restless. "Do nothing!" Voldemort ordered them. "He's mine to finish! He's mine!"

Suddenly, a flash of bright white light spilled from the ball of energy. As Harry's spell began devouring the tip of Voldemort's wand, blue balls of lights began to burst out of it and into the graveyard, each one forming a translucent outline of a person. 

Shaye recognized the first person right away; it was Cedric. After Cedric was an older man and after him, a man and a woman that landed on either side of Harry. It was his parents. It was everyone Voldemort's wand had killed.

"Harry, when the connection is broken, you must get to the portkey," Harry's father told him. "We can linger for a moment to give you some time, but only a moment. Do you understand?"

In a haze of confusion, Harry nodded. 

"Take my body back, will you?" Cedric requested. "Take my body back to my father."

Slowly, Shaye moved over to Cedric's body and scooped her arms under his armpits. Steadily, she dragged him over to the portkey and waited for Harry to make a run for it. Then, hopefully, they could escape.

"Let go," Harry's mother said. "Sweetheart, you're ready. Let go! Let go!"

In a flash of light, Harry jerked his wand and the streams disappeared. The souls of the ones Voldemort had killed rushed him, holding him off while Harry darted toward Shaye and the portkey. With one hand each on Cedric's body and the other gripping the portkey, they began to hurtle through the air, vanishing from the graveyard.

In a muscle-aching _thud_ , they landed back in front of the maze. The crowd began to cheer and applaud and the band started to play again, but in the dim lighting of the nearby torches, Shaye and Harry leaned over Cedric's body and wept. 

Now that they were finally out of harm's way, their emotions were taking over and there was nothing they could do about it. Shaye didn't even bother to wipe away the tears as they slid down her face.

Slowly, one by one, the teachers began to realize that something was terribly wrong. It wasn't until Fleur let out a blood-curdling scream that those in the audience began to understand what was happening.

"Harry! Shaye!" Dumbledore rushed to their sides and tried to pry them off of Cedric.

"No!" Harry twisted out of Dumbledore's grip. "No! Don't!"

All at once, the band stopped playing and people started rushing down from the stands.

"For God's sake, Dumbledore, what happened?!" Fudge asked.

"He's back!" Harry sobbed. "Voldemort's back. Cedric, he asked us to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there."

Dumbledore looked to Shaye. "It's true!" she cried out. "He tried to kill us!"

"It's all right." Dumbledore consoled the two distraught students. "He's home. You all are."

"Keep everybody in their seats! A boy has just been killed," Fudge told McGonagall and Snape before turning back to Dumbledore. "The body must be moved, Dumbledore. There are too many people."

Sitting back on her haunches, Shaye looked past Dumbledore and Fudge and saw George standing among those who had spilled out of the stands and onto the grass. He looked as white as a ghost, like he might be sick. Shaye couldn't stop herself from crying, not after everything that had just happened and everything she had learned . . . so when he made eye contact with her, she looked away. She didn't want anyone to see her like this.

"Let me through!" Amos Diggory's voice could be heard, panicked and strained as he pushed through the crowd. "That's my son! That's my boy!"

Sobbing just as hard as Harry and Shaye, Amos fell to his knees and cradled Cedric's head in his lap. The sound of him wailing for his son only made Shaye and Harry feel even worse. Cho, along with many other students who were standing among the crowd, began to cry as well. 

"Come on. Get up." Mad-Eye appeared behind Shaye and Harry and pulled them to their feet. "Easy. This is not where you want to be right now. Come on."

With the sound of Amos Diggory screaming over the deafening silence of everyone else, Mad-Eye dragged Shaye and Harry away from the prying eyes and up to the castle. Shaye swore that even when she was standing in Mad-Eye's office, she could still hear the screams. She didn't think they would ever stop.

While Mad-Eye closed the office door, Shaye fell into Harry's arms and shoved her face into the crook of his neck. "I couldn't leave you there," she told him through gasping breaths. "I know you told me to go but I just couldn't . . . I couldn't lose someone else."

"It's okay," Harry said.

Mad-Eye then led the two shaking students into the back part of his office, where they had once sat to discuss strategy for the first task, and pulled a curtain shut to give them even more privacy, even though the office was empty except for them.

Shaye and Harry took a seat on the stools that were sitting beside the large trunk. 

"Are you all right?" Mad-Eye leaned over to be eye-level with them. Slowly, they nodded. "Does it hurt? That?" he gestured to the cut on Harry's arm where Wormtail had drawn blood.

"Not so much now." Harry shook his head. 

"Perhaps I'd better take a look at it."

Harry didn't fight it. He didn't have the strength left inside of him to fight anymore.

"The Cup was a portkey," Shaye said. "Someone had bewitched it."

Mad-Eye looked up from the wound on Harry's forearm. "What was it like? What was he like?"

Harry was a little taken aback. "Who?"

"The Dark Lord." Mad-Eye pressed his finger into Harry's wound and Harry flinched. "What was it like to stand in his presence?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "It was like I'd fallen into one of my dreams . . . into one of my nightmares."

It was then that Shaye and Harry noticed Mad-Eye gasping and making sounds like he was choking. In a rush, he threw back the curtain and bolted into the other room. He was out of sight but still making horrid sounds.

"Were there others?" he asked through guttural gasps. "In the graveyard, were there others?"

Shaye and Harry froze. They shared a look; the same look they had shared many times before. Something was wrong.

"I don't think we said anything about a graveyard, Professor." Harry swallowed hard. 

Mad-Eye then slinked back into the room, his stare wild and crazed. "'Marvellous creatures, dragons, aren't they?'" he rasped. "Do you think that miserable oaf would have led you into the woods if I hadn't suggested it?"

Shaye and Harry watched as he frantically dug around in chests and drawers, obviously looking for something urgent. 

"Do you think Cedric Diggory would've told you to open the egg underwater if I hadn't told him first myself?" Mad-Eye threw an empty glass onto the floor, smashing it into shards. "Do you think Neville Longbottom, the witless wonder, could've provided you with gillyweed if I hadn't given him the book that led him straight to it?"

Mad-Eye was inches away from Shaye's and Harry's faces now. He was truly mad; his name had never fit so perfectly.

"It was you from the beginning," Harry stated. "You put our names in the Goblet of Fire. You bewitched Krum, but you . . ."

"'But . . . but . . .'" Mad-Eye mocked Harry. "You two won because I made it so. You ended up in that graveyard tonight because it was meant to be so. And now the deed is done." he grabbed Harry's arm and prodded his wound. "The blood that runs through these veins runs within the Dark Lord. Imagine how he will reward me when he learns that I have once and for all silenced the great Harry Potter and his nosy little friend."

Shaye and Harry jumped from their seats and began to back toward the wall. Mad-Eye raised his wand toward the two but before he could mutter the killing curse, Dumbledore burst through the door in a flash of blue light. " _Expelliarmus_!" he shouted and Mad-Eye flew back into the rolling chair behind himself.

In a matter of seconds, Dumbledore had Mad-Eye by the throat, with himself, McGonagall and Snape all aiming their wands at him. 

"Severus." Dumbledore stepped aside and Snape poured some sort of liquid into Mad-Eye's mouth. "Do you know who I am?" Dumbledore then asked.

Mad-Eye sputtered as the liquid slid down his throat. "Albus Dumbledore." he hissed. 

"Are you Alastor Moody? Are you?"

"No."

"Is he in this room?"

Mad-Eye gestured toward the trunk beside Shaye and Harry with a nod of his head. "Get away from there!" Dumbledore told them and they did as he asked, confused beyond belief but understanding that something serious was going on. 

If Alastor Moody wasn't Alastor Moody? Then who was he?

With Shaye and Harry standing safely behind the teachers, Snape cast a spell onto the trunk and the lid popped open, followed by six more lids that corresponded to six smaller chambers of the trunk. At the bottom of said trunk, in a pit much deeper than the floorboards, a man in white long underwear was sitting. He looked a mess but it was easy to tell it was Mad-Eye . . . or, the _real_ Mad-Eye. 

"You all right, Alastor?" Dumbledore called down to him.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Mad-Eye responded. 

Harry furrowed his brows. "That's Moody. But then who's . . .?"

Snape, who had gotten ahold of the fake Mad-Eye's flask, opened it and took a sniff. "Polyjuice Potion," he concluded. 

"Now we know who's been stealing from your stores, Severus," Dumbledore said. He then looked down at the real Mad-Eye. "We'll get you up in a minute!"

The real Mad-Eye, who was holding his hand over his left eye (which was the one that was missing and required the fake eye), nodded. Everyone then turned just in time to watch the fake Mad-Eye transform back into who he really was. He clawed off the fake eye and threw it to the floor while his skin bubbled and stretched until there was nothing remaining that looked like Mad-Eye.

The person sitting in the chair was Barty Crouch Junior.

Barty tried to lunge for Shaye and Harry but Dumbledore stopped him. "Barty Crouch Junior." he shook his head at the man before him. 

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Barty lifted his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark on his forearm.

"Your arm, Harry." Dumbledore grabbed Harry and presented the gash Wormtail had left. 

Barty smirked. "You know what this means, don't you? He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned."

"I'm sorry, sir." Harry apologized. "I couldn't help it."

"Send an owl to Azkaban." Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "I think they'll find they're missing a prisoner."

Barty smirked again as if everything had gone exactly according to plan. "I'll be welcomed back like a hero."

"Perhaps." Dumbledore led Shaye and Harry away from Barty and out of the office. "Personally, I've never had much time for heroes."

The next thing either of them knew, they were in Dumbledore's office with blankets draped over their shoulders and warm cups of tea in their hands. Dumbledore asked them over and over again what had happened and over and over again, Shaye and Harry told him.

Finally, after feeling satisfied with the retelling, Dumbledore fell silent. It was in that silence that Shaye closed her eyes and saw the graveyard again. She could hear Amos' screaming and see Cedric's spirit pleading for his body to be taken back. 

Then she thought about her father and her sister . . . her dead father and her missing sister. Lorelei was had been the Lost Wanderer all along. Lorelei had betrayed Voldemort somehow. Lorelei had been good after all.

But the real question was . . . was Lorelei still alive?


	58. Everything Has Changed

Shaye could feel the eyes on her as she moved through the halls toward the Great Hall. The school was holding a memorial service for Cedric and although she and Harry knew that it would be yet another excuse for the other students to stare and whisper about them behind their backs, they also knew that they couldn't miss it. 

In a way, they were responsible for Cedric's death . . . and that thought had haunted them every minute of every day since the third task. If Voldemort hadn't have been so determined to kill them, then the Triwizard tournament would have been just that and Cedric probably would have won. He would have gone back home after the year was over with his winnings and his father and lived to see the rest of his life. Instead, however, he was just a stark reminder of the danger that came with opposing the Dark Lord.

All anyone would remember him for—except those few who truly knew him—was a lesson learned. An example. A warning.

Shaye shook that thought from her head as she entered the Great Hall and noticed that the tables were gone and in their place were rows and rows of benches; like pews in a church. All colour had been stripped away and where the house banners of the winners of the House Cup usually draped from the ceiling, black banners with the Hogwarts logo replaced them. At the front of the room, where the teacher's table usually sat, Dumbledore's golden throne sat by itself. Even the throne seemed to shine less.

As she made her way toward the front of the room, the many Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauzbatons students eyeing her as she passed, she sat down at one of the benches beside Harry, Ron and Hermione and hung her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mattias sitting with Krum and his other friends on the other side of the room. Then, in the very first row, she spotted two heads of shoulder-length ginger hair. George turned around to look at her when Lee tapped him on the shoulder. The two made eye contact. George smiled. Shaye couldn't even do that.

Shaye thought about when she had kissed George. It seemed so long ago, like a different lifetime. She remembered being happy for a split second in that moment. She wondered if she would ever be happy again. What if one person could only take so much pain and grief? What happens then?

Shaye thought about having to explain everything to the people around her. Explain what had happened. Explain how she was feeling. Just the thought of it was exhausting.

Shaye thought about having to explain Lorelei to George. He knew the basics like everyone else did, but he didn't know what she, Harry, Ron and Hermione knew. Lorelei had always been an anomaly; a challenge to understand. 

Suddenly, flashes of her first year at Hogwarts flashed through Shaye's head. She thought about when she had looked into the Mirror of Erised and seen only herself, Harry and Quirrell; but Quirrell had stood out, almost shining. It was then that she put two and two together. The thing she wanted most in the world was to find her sister, and what she hadn't known then was that the person who knew what had happened to her was right there beside her on the back of Quirrell's head. She thought about when Voldemort had told her about her sister's disappearance. He hadn't just known about it, he was responsible for it. 

In a flash of memories, pieces were fitting together that at one point had seemed to be from completely different puzzles. There was no Lorelei and the Lost Wanderer. Lorelei _was_ the Lost Wanderer. Shaye's father had been killed doing the same thing Shaye was doing . . . trying to discover the truth.

But there was just one thing that didn't make sense. It was clear that Voldemort wanted Shaye to believe her sister was dead, but if Lorelei's secrets had truly died with her, then why was he so threatened by the actions of a 14-year-old girl?

Before Shaye had the opportunity to think any harder on the matter, Dumbledore entered the Hall and stepped up to his throne. As he sat, the room fell silent as the many gathered students and teachers waited for him to speak.

For a minute or two, Dumbledore just sat there, clearly trying to work out what to say. Then, without the clearing of his throat or any indication that he was ready to address the room, he began to speak.

"Today, we acknowledge a really terrible loss," he said as he rose from his seat. "Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair-minded and, most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend. Now, I think, therefore, you have the right to know exactly how he died."

Shaye felt Harry reach for her hand. Without hesitation, she took it. The grip was firm and she gave a squeeze to silently let him know that she was feeling the same way he was: ruined.

"You see . . . Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort!" Dumbledore stepped up to his podium, the candles on either side of it unlit and the dried wax clumped onto the sides messily. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory. Now, the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me . . . and reminds us . . . that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we've made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that and we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true, right to the very end."

As the memorial service ended and the students rose from their seats to go and finish packing their belongings, Shaye and Harry remained seated. Ron and Hermione said they would see them later before giving them some space. 

Before long, the Great Hall was completely empty, which it never was, except for Shaye and Harry. The two sat, hand in hand, staring out the far window at the blue sky. It was a beautiful day, but no matter how bright the sun shone, Shaye didn't think she could force herself to see the light. Not right then, anyway.

"What if next year is even worse?" Shaye asked out of nowhere. 

Harry shrugged, his shoulders tense. "I guess whatever happens will happen."

"I wish there was a way to be better prepared." Shaye sighed as she stood up. "I just feel like I'm walking around blind, unable to see what I'm getting myself into until it's already too late."

"I know how you feel." Harry agreed. "It's exhausting."

Shaye nodded. "It sure is."

By the time the duo finally arrived back to Gryffindor tower—after taking the long way through the castle to avoid the rush—most of the students were already filing out through the portrait hole with their trunks and various animal cages in hand. The two climbed the stairs and separated into their respective dormitories.

Shaye's mind turned off as she began packing up her things. She thought maybe she would feel a twinge of pain in her chest when she picked up the Monster Book of Monsters that her father had given her the year before, but she didn't. She placed it into her trunk like it was just any other book. Just like before, she was numb. 

When she was finished packing, she sat on the edge of her neatly made bed and twisted the silver bracelet around her wrist. It was the one Lorelei gave her; the one she never took off. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch slightly but still, she didn't feel much of anything. She was too broken for even hope to shine through all of the darkness inside of her.

Grabbing her trunk and Erwin's cage, she exited the now completely empty dormitory and set her things down at the top of the steps. Then, she wandered over to the boys' dormitory and knocked on the open door. Harry was standing with his back to her, his trunk open on his bed but almost all of his belongings already packed away.

All of the other beds were made and void of any personal touches. It looked as if Harry had been sleeping in the room all alone for the entire year.

"You almost ready?" Shaye asked as she let herself in and helped him finish packing. 

Harry nodded. "Yes."

Just then, Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. He didn't say anything about Shaye being in the boys' dormitory or about how they were going to be late. Instead, he shuffled in and smirked up at the maroon curtains that hung from every single of one the four-poster beds. 

"I never liked these curtains," he said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "Set them on fire in my fourth year. By accident, of course."

Shaye smiled because it was the polite thing to do. Plus, she appreciated the anecdote for the simple reason that it had nothing to do with the tournament or Cedric or any other recent events. 

The light expression then vanished from Dumbledore's face. "I put you two in terrible danger this year. I'm sorry."

There it was.

"Professor . . . when we were in the graveyard, there was a moment when Voldemort's wand and mine sort of connected," Harry told Dumbledore. 

"Priori Incantatem," Dumbledore mumbled to himself. "You saw your parents that night, didn't you? They reappeared."

Harry smiled a little and nodded.

"No spell can reawaken the dead, Harry. I trust you know that," Dumbledore said, and even though Harry understood, the smile still left his face. Dumbledore then looked to Shaye as well. "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy. But remember this: you both have friends here. You have each other. You're not alone."

With that, Dumbledore turned and walked out of the dormitory. Without another word between them, Shaye helped Harry finish packing before the two of them lugged their luggage out to the corridor and joined the rest of the school in the courtyard to say goodbye to the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

Shaye arrived just in time to catch a glimpse of Krum handing a slip of parchment to Hermione and asking her to write to him. That genuinely made Shaye smile. From across the courtyard, she spotted George and once again, they made eye contact. Her smile stayed intact. There was then a hand on her shoulder and she jumped a little.

"Shaye." Mattias had emerged from the sea of students. "I have been looking all over for you. I wish to say goodbye."

"Oh." Shaye wasn't sure what to say. Before she knew it, she was being pulled in for a hug. "Goodbye," she said.

Mattias' large arms squeezed her tight. "It was very nice to meet you. I hope we will meet again someday."

"Yes. Someday." Shaye tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "Safe travels."

Minutes later, it seemed, Shaye was watching the magnificent ship that the students from Durmstrang had arrived on sail out into the Black Lake. With a single cannon fire, the ship then sunk into the water, the masts blowing in the wind until the very last second.

The Hogwarts students gave the Beauxbatons ladies a round of applause as they made their way toward their carriage. As Fleur passed Shaye, the two girls caught each other's eye and gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. 

Soon, the abraxons were in the air and Hogwarts was once again home to the students of Hogwarts alone; if only for a few more hours until they headed toward the train station for the summer.

"Do you think we'll ever just have a quiet year at Hogwarts?" Ron grinned as he and Hermione flanked Shaye and Harry. 

Shaye, Harry and Hermione shared an amused look. "No," they answered in unison.

"No, I didn't think so." Ron agreed. "Oh, well. What's life without a few dragons?"

Suddenly, a solemn look washed over Hermione's face. "Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" she asked.

Harry placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder and nodded. "Yes."

"It already has," Shaye added. "But we're not alone."

Hermione's mouth twisted into a smile. "Promise you'll write this summer. All of you."

Shaye nodded. "I always do."

Ron scoffed. "I won't. You know I won't."

"Harry will, won't you?" Hermione turned to him.

"Yeah. Every week." Harry snickered. 

The four of them chuckled. It was then that Shaye turned to Ron, deciding that it was now or never. "Oh, yeah, Ron . . . there's something I have to tell you." she waited for him to look at her before speaking again. "I kissed George."

Ron's face twisted into the most disgusted, uncomfortable look Shaye had ever seen. She couldn't help but burst out into laughter. Harry and Hermione were laughing soon after as well. 

It was at that moment that Shaye realized, no matter how dark the world around you gets, there will always be cracks for the light to shine in through. It may not always be a huge crack, maybe only large enough for a moment of humour with your friends . . . but sometimes that can be enough. 


	59. See Beyond the Sorrow

**Year 5 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

Dorian Frazier's funeral was a small event for family and close friends that took place on a sunny Sunday afternoon in late July. The one detail that Shaye remembers about it most was how much the muscles in her face ached at the end of the day from how much smiling she had done. Shaye flashed a fake smile when she greeted each of the guests, when people told her they were sorry for her loss and when she had said goodbye to everyone alongside her mother. She spent the entire funeral smiling. 

Elise Frazier spent the entire funeral trying to hold it together. Shaye smiled big enough for the both of them. 

It was a beautiful ceremony full of happy memories and tearful farewells to a man that everyone had known to be kind and hard-working and honest. During the eulogy, Shaye couldn't help but think back to the words had Dumbledore had said in the wake of Cedric's murder. She wondered if everyone said the same thing at every funeral. She wondered if everyone, no matter how they really were while alive, became kind and hard-working and honest when they passed. 

She wondered if she would be remembered as kind and hard-working and honest when she died.

At the end of the day, Shaye and her mother returned to their home—a home that felt empty and foreign to them, the same way it had after Lorelei had gone missing—and went their separate ways. Shaye and her mother hadn't talked much since the summer had started. Shaye didn't know if it was because her mother was angry with her for not coming home right after her father had been killed or if her she blamed her for her father's death in the first place.

All she knew was that their relationship was not the same anymore. Maybe it never would be again.

The one conversation that had lasted longer than a minute and consisted of more than ten words between the two of them was when Shaye explained to her mother what had happened in the graveyard with Voldemort. This conversation had taken place within two minutes of Shaye stepping through the threshold of the home after returning from Hogwarts. 

Despite Elise's desire to reject the fact that her husband had been murdered by command of the Dark Lord himself, Shaye could see the glint of acceptance in her eyes. Dorian had lied to both of them about the reason for his departure. Now that the truth was out and Dorian wasn't around to blame for the mistakes he made, Shaye took the brunt of that weight onto her own shoulders. She didn't even mind. She would have done anything for her mother. After all, she was all she had left.

While Elise shuffled into the kitchen, probably to make a cup of tea and sit at the dining table like she did almost every hour of every day, Shaye trudged up the steps to her room. Her feet ached, just like the rest of her body, and she relished in the fact that she didn't have to smile anymore.

As soon as she stepped into her bedroom, her eyes drifted over to the pile of opened and unanswered letters from her friends. There were about ten from Hermione, three from Harry, two from George and even one from Ron. Shaye had read them all but had never been able to answer them. What was she supposed to say? She wasn't out having an incredible summer with adventures that were worthy of writing to her friends about. She was sitting in her bedroom all day trying not to cry. Her father's funeral had been the first time she had left the house in weeks. 

Shaye was a mess and she didn't want to have to burden her friends with that. Not until she absolutely had to, at least. So, for now, she decided to let them all enjoy their summers and when September rolled around again, she would pull herself together and focus on yet another year at Hogwarts. 

For now, she would strip off her black dress and pinching heels and crawl into bed. Erwin would chirp from the corner of the room until she eventually caved in and let him out the window so he could fly around for a while. When she got too hungry to sleep anymore, she would brave the kitchen where her mother was and get some food. When she remembered to shower, she would. 

Everything else wasn't important.

═══════════════

A month came and went in the blink of an eye. One day, Shaye was crawling into bed, her feet sore from the heels she had worn to her father's funeral, and it seemed as though the very next day was the end of August. 

Shaye woke that sunny August morning to the sound of the front door closing. It was an unfamiliar sound by that point. The only time she or her mother stepped foot outside the house was when they were collecting the mail every few days. 

Realizing that the time to pull herself together had come, Shaye peeled away the covers from her body and stood from her bed. Erwin was hopping around wildly in his cage, eager to get out and stretch his wings. As soon as Shaye opened her bedroom window, he flew out of his open cage and out the window, disappearing into the bright blue sky. When a cool morning breeze blew through, Shaye closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 

It was time to get ready to return to her second home.

Shaye showered, braided her hair, brushed her teeth and got dressed. She would spend the day packing and then in the morning she would probably head to Hermione's or Ron's house. 

Her stomach rumbling something fierce, Shaye decided to brave the all-consuming silence of her mother and the kitchen and grab something to eat. As she descended the steps, she spotted a carboard box sitting beside the front door. On the side, in neat handwriting, it read **Dorian Frazier**.

It was her father's belongings from work. They had finally found a replacement for him in the department and cleared out his desk.

Shaye was about to walk right past it, but then a feeling in her gut told her to take a look inside. Lifting the cardboard flaps at the top, Shaye was rather unsurprised by what she saw when she opened the box. It was a collection of regular desk supplies: pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, books. The only item that distinguished this lot of supplies from any other Ministry employee was the family photo of Shaye, Lorelei and their parents. It was when both the girls were much younger. 

After Lorelei had gone missing, Dorian had refused to take an up-to-date picture without his eldest child in it. So, when he was at work, he disappeared into a world where both of his young daughters (the photo had been taken when Lorelei was 11 and Shaye was three) were waiting for him at home, ready to greet him at the door when he returned. In the photo, Lorelei was just about to start her first day at Hogwarts. 

Shaye smiled softly as she shifted around some of the items. At the bottom, she spotted something that made her breathing hitch; it was the map that Shaye had found inside Hattie's school trunk. With a little bit of digging, Shaye recovered the letter her father had confiscated as well. Just like that, she was back in her third year; in the thick of uncovering the mystery of her sister's disappearance. 

Instead of taking the map and the letter, however, she gently placed them onto the top of the pile inside the box and walked away. Another Frazier didn't need to go missing or wind up dead in pursuit of this search.

Maybe it was time to give up. 

Inside the kitchen, as expected, Elise was sitting at the table with an untouched cup of luke-warm tea in her hands. She was staring out the window at the large oak tree in the backyard. When Shaye and Lorelei were young, Dorian had built a swing that hung from one of the branches of that tree. To that day, the swing remained, despite being weathered and unusable.

Elise watched as the swing swayed gently in the morning breeze. 

"Good morning." Shaye greeted as she grabbed two slices of bread from the breadbox and slipped them into the toaster.

Elise barely looked away from the window. "Hmm." she hummed in response.

Shaye frowned. She had tried everything from being there for her mother's every need to staying out of her way altogether. Nothing seemed to help.

"School starts again soon," Shaye said. "Will you be okay all by yourself here?"

"I was all by myself after your father died." Elise reminded her daughter, a touch of venom dripping from her tone. "I'll be fine."

Shaye nodded. "Okay. Good."

Silence fell over the two once more. When the toast popped out of the toaster, Shaye jumped a little. She took her time buttering the slices, giving her mother ample opportunity to speak to her again. She ate slowly, watching her mother out of the corner of her eye.

After ten minutes, not another word had been spoken between them and she had finished her toast. Cleaning up the crumbs from the counter, Shaye started to leave.

"I don't think you should go back this year," Elise said out of the blue. Her expression had softened and she had turned away from the window. "It's too dangerous."

Shaye stopped in the doorway, unsure what to say. She didn't know how to tell her mother that the thought of going back to Hogwarts was the only thing keeping her going. 

"What will I do if I don't go back?" she asked.

"Stay here with me where it's safe. I cannot lose another daughter. It can't just be me in this house."

Shaye felt her mother's words tug at her heartstrings. When she looked back at her mother, a woman who used to be so strong and full of light reduced to this shell of a person, the sadness was replaced with rage. 

How had her entire family just rolled over and allowed this power-hungry wizard to destroy them one by one? Voldemort had done the same thing to Harry's family and he wasn't taking it lying down; he was fighting back at every opportunity. 

Shaye felt disgusted at how weak she had become. She wanted to be like Harry; empowered by the devastation instead of ruined by it. She had to change . . . to become the same person she was in her first, second and third years. This year would be different than the last. 

"You won't lose me," Shaye said. "I promise."

With that, she turned on her heel and headed for the staircase. On her way up to her room, she collected the map and the letter from the box and took them upstairs with her, making sure to tuck them into one of her textbooks and place it at the bottom of her trunk. Then, she began to pack.

By the time she had loaded almost all of her school supplies into her trunk, Erwin had returned. Sitting on the windowsill, he flapped his wings, alerting Shaye to the envelope in his beak. 

Taking the envelope, which was sent to her from Sirius Black (rather oddly), she opened it. Written on the parchment was a single address and nothing more.

_**12 Grimmauld Place** _


	60. The Order of the Phoenix

When Shaye arrived at Grimmauld Place, she tried to look as normal as one possibly could while dragging along a trunk behind them with one hand and carrying an owl cage with the other. It was nearly dark outside and the sunset was a beautiful shade of deep orange in the sky. 

It had been difficult for Shaye to convince her mother to let her go back to Hogwarts for her fifth year, but in the end, Elise had agreed so long as Shaye promised to keep her head down and not go looking for any trouble. Shaye had made the promise; a promise she knew she would break. 

Shaye didn't like lying to her mother, but the ease and comfort it brought to Elise's face was worth it in the end. Shaye told herself over and over that everything would be okay, so long as her mother wasn't worried about her. 

Walking down the sidewalk, Shaye's eyes drifted from the house numbers when she noticed a familiar man with shoulder-length black hair standing a few units down. He looked much more put together than the last time Shaye had seen him—combed hair, clean skin, tidy clothes—but there was no doubt it was Sirius Black.

"You got my letters." Sirius seemed relieved when he spotted Shaye. "I was worried when you didn't answer."

"Not answering letters has kind of been my thing this summer." Shaye shrugged it off.

Sirius nodded. "So I've heard. Your friends have been worried. They think you may have left the country."

"For a day or two after my father's funeral, I thought that maybe we would," Shaye said. "It was hard to convince my mum to let me come here, let alone go back to Hogwarts this year. She's scared."

"As she should be." Sirius placed a hand on Shaye's shoulder and lowered his voice slightly. "There are some things about your father that I think you should know. But I'll tell you later. First, let's head inside."

As Shaye turned toward the row of side by side, skinny houses, she spotted the number 11 on one and 13 on the next. "I thought your letter said 12." she cocked a brow.

"It did," Sirius said before muttering something under his breath. All of a sudden, numbers 11 and 13 began to shift away from one another, a completely new unit appearing between them out of thin air. Number 12 Grimmauld place rumbled as it slid into view, the windows taking form on the second story at the same time that a balcony materialized. 

By that point in her life, Shaye had been so many truly unbelievable things that she didn't even blink at the way the new unit of the building popped up between the two as if it had been there all along. 

With a wave of his arm, Sirius gestured Shaye inside. "Everyone is already here except for Harry," Sirius said as he climbed the steps to the front door and pushed it open. "He's gotten into a little bit of trouble this summer."

Shaye gasped. "Trouble? Is he okay? He didn't mention anything in his letters."

"He's fine," Sirius assured her as the two stepped into the house. "Just a little incident with underage magic use outside of school. It'll be cleared up in no time."

"I hope so." Shaye set her trunk to the side and placed Erwin's cage on top of it. 

The entranceway to the home was a long, narrow, dimly lit hallway with picture frames on the wall. The wallpaper was peeling in some spots and the few lamps that provided light flickered on and off.

"It's not much," Sirius ushered Shaye down the hallway toward the room at the end where faint voices could be heard, "but it's safe."

With that, Sirius squeezed past Shaye in the hallway and pushed open the door to what looked like the kitchen. It was much brighter inside that room but from where she was standing, Shaye could only see Sirius and a small, grumpy-looking house-elf as it rushed out of the kitchen, through Shaye's legs and out of sight.

"Never fear," Sirius announced to the room as Shaye inched closer. "She's arrived and she is perfectly safe."

As Shaye entered the room, she felt her heart swell at the sight of Hermione and the entire Weasley family sitting at the large dining table. Before she had the chance to say hello, Hermione jumped up from her chair, nearly knocking it over in the process, and threw her arms around her friend.

"Oh, I was so worried about you!" Hermione squealed. "I didn't expect you to be very talkative over the summer but when I heard that you hadn't answered _any_ letters from anyone, I began to think the worse. I'm so glad you're okay!"

"I don't know if I'm necessarily 'okay' . . . but I'm here. That's a start," Shaye said, a small smile forming on her lips as Hermione pulled out of the hug. "I wanted to write back . . ." Shaye looked over Hermione's shoulder at Ron and George, ". . . to all of you. I just didn't have anything to say. It's been a hard past few months."

"Of course it has." Molly Weasley stood from her chair and embraced Shaye as well. "We're glad you're here, dear. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Shaye nodded. "Thank you."

Molly then rounded on her sons, her hands on her hips. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get up and help Shaye take her things upstairs. All of you out of the kitchen now. It's time for the adults to talk."

Without hesitation, because they knew better than to disobey their mother, Ron, Fred and George (who had all gotten drastic haircuts over the summer; Fred and George's hair much shorter than Ron's, however) rose from their chairs. Ginny followed suit, but she hung back a bit with Hermione to avoid having to carry anything heavy.

"It's good to see you." Ron smiled as he passed, his usual dry greeting bringing comfort to Shaye. 

"You too," she replied.

The first to reach the front door, Ron and Fred worked together to carry Shaye's trunk up the flight of steps. Shaye felt a little guilty having her friends carry her things for her, but she also knew she didn't have the energy to lug her heavy trunk upstairs.

As she reached for Erwin's cage, which was more than light enough for her to handle, Shaye's hand brushed against George's as he reached for it at the same time. 

Shaye felt her cheeks redden, a warmth spreading onto her face. "It's okay. I've got it." she lifted the cage by herself. "Thank you though."

"No problem." George scratched the back of his neck nervously, neither he nor Shaye noticing how Hermione and Ginny were watching their awkward encounter. "How have you been?" he asked before his face flushed with embarrassment. "That was a stupid question. You've obviously not been well. How could you? I'm so sorry for your loss."

"I know. You said so in your letters." Shaye started up the stairs with George by her side. "But thank you."

"I missed you." George sort of blurted out. The words left his mouth so fast and unexpectedly that Shaye had to take a second to process them before she understood what he had said. 

Hermione and Ginny shared an intrigued look.

Shaye smiled and took George's hand with her free one. "I missed you too," she said, thinking back to when she had kissed him after the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, the both of them soaking wet and shivering. "I'm sorry I didn't write."

"I'm just glad you're okay." he smiled.

As soon as Shaye had made it up to the bedroom where Ron and Hermione were keeping their things, she placed Erwin's cage on top of the dresser. Ron and Fred were panting after lugging the trunk up the steps. Then, without warning, Fred and George disapparated out of the room with a loud _pop!_

Ron flinched at the noise. "Ever since they turned 17 they've been doing that everywhere."

"The twins free to use magic outside of school?" Shaye chuckled as wandered off to do her own thing. "None of us are safe."

Ron and Hermione laughed as well. Then the laughter slowly died out, leaving the room completely silent. 

"I really am sorry for not writing . . . and for worrying everyone." Shaye apologized. "After my dad's funeral I just . . . my mother didn't even want me going back to school this year. She's terrified. She made me promise not to go looking for my sister anymore."

Ron and Hermione shared a look. "What did you say?" Ron asked.

"I said I wouldn't." Shaye moved over to her trunk, opened the lid and pulled out the map and the letter she had packed. "But I brought these anyway because I've decided not to live in fear anymore. My sister is out there somewhere . . . I know it and I'm going to find her."

Ron and Hermione smiled wide. Maybe because they were excited for the adventure sure to come or because they were thrilled to see the Shaye that they recognized back in their presence instead of the quiet, timid one that had taken over briefly.

In the midst of the reunion and excitement, neither one of the trio had heard the footsteps of someone coming up the steps or the creaks of the floorboards that followed. It wasn't until Harry was standing in the doorway that anyone noticed he was there.

"Harry!" Shaye threw her arms around him. Harry was certainly taken aback, but he wrapped his arms around her just the same. "Are you all right?"

"We heard them talking about the dementor attack," Hermione said. "You must tell us everything."

Shaye furrowed her brows. "Dementor attack. Sirius only mentioned using magic outside of school."

"Why do you think I had to use magic outside of school in the first place?" Harry asked. 

"Let the man breathe." Ron looked to the girls. 

"And this hearing at the ministry!" Hermione added, ignoring Ron. "It's just outrageous! I've looked it up. They simply can't expel you. It's completely unfair."

"Yeah." Harry agreed. He seemed upset. "There's a lot of that going around at the moment. So, what is this place?"

Shaye shrugged. "I only got here about ten minutes before you."

"It's headquarters," Ron answered, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.

"Of the Order of the Phoenix." Hermione clarified. "It's a secret society. Dumbledore formed it back when they first fought You-Know-Who."

"You couldn't have put any of this in a letter, I suppose?" Harry asked. "I've gone all summer without a scrap of news."

Shaye was confused. Had no one been writing to Harry over the summer? She hadn't been told that . . . but then again, she hadn't been told much of anything either. 

Ron's face fell. "We wanted to write, mate. Really, we did. Only . . ."

"Only what?" Harry questioned.

"Only Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything," Hermione said.

Shaye folded her arms across her chest. "Dumbledore didn't tell me anything."

"Dumbledore didn't want you to know either," Ron said. "He just told us to be there for you. Said you'd need support after everything that happened . . . after your dad."

Confusion washed over Harry's face. "Dumbledore said that? But why would he want to keep us in the dark? I mean, maybe we could help. After all, we were the ones who saw Voldemort return. We're the ones who fought him. We're the ones who saw Cedric Diggory get killed."

Suddenly, the twins popped back into the room. Everyone jumped. Shaye felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Harry." George greeted.

"Thought we heard your dulcet tones," Fred said. 

George nodded. "Don't bottle it up though, mate. Let it out."

"Anyway, if you're all done shouting . . ." Fred started.

"Do you want to hear something a little more interesting?" George finished.

Before Shaye knew what she and the others were getting themselves into, they were standing at the top of the stairs, dangling an ear on a string over the railing and down to the first floor, right outside the kitchen. Fred and George said it was some sort of listening device they had invented. 

Shaye opened her mouth to ask if it actually worked, but before she could, she heard Sirius' voice coming through the other ear that George was holding.

 _"If anyone has a right to know, it's Harry and Shaye,"_ Sirius said, his voice hushed and barely audible. _"If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't even know Voldemort was back. They're not children, Molly."_

 _"They're not adults, either!"_ Molly exclaimed. _"Harry is not James, Sirius. And Shaye is not Dorian."_

_"They're not your children."_

_"They're as good as."_

Just then, Ginny joined the group, eager to see what was going on.

 _"How touching, Black."_ the newest voice shocked Shaye. It was Snape. _"Perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon, just like his godfather. The girl can go missing just like her sister."  
_

 _"Now you stay out of this, Snivelous."_ Sirius snapped.

Harry furrowed his brows. "Snape's part of the Order?"

Fred nodded. "Git."

When everyone turned their attention back to the ear below, they noticed Hermione's cat Crookshanks eyeing it up. George tried to pull the ear up and out of the cat's reach but Crookshanks jumped up and swatted it out of the air. 

Hermione tried to scold her cat from above with a harsh whisper, but it was no use. In seconds, Crookshanks had pulled the ear from the string and ran off with it in its mouth.

"Hermione, I hate your cat." Ron huffed.

Hermione's face flushed with embarrassment. "Bad Crookshanks!"

With that, the group of teenagers descended the steps. All except for Fred and George, who preferred to apparate everywhere now. 

"Well, we'll be eating down in the kitchen." Molly greeted the kids with a smile. Just then, the twins apparated behind her, the loud popping sound startling her. "Oh!" she shrieked. "Just because you're allowed to use magic now does not mean you have to whip your wands out for everything!"

As Molly waved her hands at her sons, Fred and George ran off with huge grins on their faces. In the meantime, Arthur Weasley was checking in to see if Harry was doing okay.

"Harry Potter." Sirius stepped out of the kitchen with Lupin by his side. Harry smiled and hugged his godfather tight. 

As Shaye entered the kitchen, she realized that it was suddenly a lot more full than it had been when she had arrived. A woman with bright purple hair was sitting beside Ginny, turning her nose into a pig snout and making the girl giggle. A black man with the most spectacular robes Shaye had ever seen (aside from Dumbledore's, that is) was sitting on the other side of Ginny. Mad-Eye Moody was standing in the corner. Shaye felt a chill run up her spine when she remembered the last time she had been in the same room with him, even if it wasn't the real him.

Hermione said they were all a part of the Order as well.

While everyone took their seats and Molly finished preparing dinner, Arthur looked over the letter Harry had received about his hearing. "This is very, very peculiar," he said as he skimmed the page. "It seems that your hearing at the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizenagamot."

"I don't understand." Harry shook his head. "What has the Ministry of Magic got against me?"

The table went quiet. 

"Show him." Mad-Eye piped up. "He'll find out soon enough."

Pulling out a newspaper from his robes, the black wizard with the magnificent robes, who Ron had introduced as Kingsley Shacklebolt, handed it to Harry. On the front cover was an image of Harry from the previous year. Above him, in bold lettering, it read **The Boy Who Lies?**

Shaye skimmed the article and picked out the pieces about Fudge, the Minister of Magic, claiming that Voldemort being back was nothing more than a lie.

"It mentions you as well," Sirius told Shaye. "They've just decided that Harry makes for a better story right now. He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet, to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord had returned." Sirius looked to Shaye once more. "There was a rather nasty piece about the death of your father the other week."

Shaye swallowed hard, her head hanging low. She hadn't read any news about the wizarding world during the summer, therefore, she hadn't a clue this was going on. What had they written about her father? Had her mother read it? 

Shaye felt George take her hand under the table. The gesture made her feel a little better.

"Why?" Harry asked. 

"The Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job," Lupin said.

"But that's insane." Harry shook his head. "No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore-"

"Exactly the point," Lupin noted. "Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear. Now, fear makes people do terrible things. The last time Voldemort gained power, he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he has returned, and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

Shaye exhaled slowly. "So everyone just thinks that Harry and I are lying?"

Lupin nodded. "Yes."

"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again," Sirius said. "14 years ago, he had huge numbers at his command, and not just witches and wizards but all manner of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily, and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in." 

Mad-Eye cleared his throat. 

Sirius inhaled before continuing. "We believe Voldemort may be after something."

"Sirius," Mad-Eye warned.

"Something he didn't have last time."

Harry thought for a moment. "You mean, like a weapon?"

"No." Molly set down the knife she was using to chop vegetables. "That's enough. He's just a boy! You say much more and you might as well induct him into the Order straightaway."

"Good. I want to join," Harry stated. "If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight."

"Me too." Shaye agreed. "I'm done being scared of him."

Sirius clapped his hands together triumphantly and sat back in his chair. "Like father like son." he winked at Harry before turning to Shaye. "Or like father like daughter."

"My father was in the Order?" Shaye asked.

Sirius nodded. "Before your sister went missing, yes. He wasn't an active member after that until . . ."

"Sirius!" Molly snapped.

"Until what?" Shaye was literally on the edge of her seat.

"Until he picked up the search for your sister where you left off," Sirius explained, completely ignoring Molly at that point. "Until he was killed."

Shaye let out an involuntary gasp. "Voldemort said that my father had been killed because he was following in my sister's footsteps . . . for 'meddling'. I didn't know he was looking for her. I thought he was mad that I was doing it. I thought . . ."

"He wasn't mad," Sirius said. "He was worried about you. Worried about losing another daughter. He was trying to protect you."

Shaye squeezed George's hand as tight as she could. If he was in any pain, he didn't show it. Instead, he sat there, expressionless on the outside but supportive on the inside.

"Then we have to . . ." a feeling of empowerment and bravery ballooned inside of Shaye. " . . . we have to fight. For my father and my sister and anyone else who Voldemort has killed or made disappear just because he could. I don't care if it's just me and Harry against the world. I'm fighting."


	61. From Famous to Infamous

Hearing the loud, high-pitched whistle of the Hogwarts Express, which meant the train would be leaving soon, Shaye looked out the window at the station platform, searching the crowd for Harry. Neither she, Ron or Hermione had seen him since he had left that morning for his hearing at the Ministry. The outcome was unknown to them, which meant that Harry could just have easily been expelled after all and the train would leave without him on it.

Thankfully, just after the last whistle sounded, Harry ducked into the compartment and took a seat opposite Shaye. 

"Well, how was it?" Shaye asked. She was beyond curious to hear about what had happened. 

Harry shrugged. "All charges were cleared and I wasn't expelled, so it went okay, I guess. Dumbledore was there to defend me though. I don't think it would have gone nearly as well if he hadn't shown up."

"It's good he was there then," Hermione said. "He's always going to protect you, Harry."

Harry nodded. "Yeah . . . but when I tried to talk to him afterward he just ignored me and walked out."

"He is a busy man," Ron said. "I wouldn't read too much into it, mate."

"The important part is that you're here with us," Shaye told Harry. Harry nodded in agreement.

The majority of the train ride to Hogwarts was done in silence. After the ordeal at number 12 Grimmauld Place and the uncovered truth about the Order of the Phoenix, there was a collective feeling of dread looming; almost like a cloud, following Shaye and the others wherever they went.

Despite the Ministry's determination to deny the return of Voldemort, the truth was blinding and soon his rise to power would be unstoppable. A war was coming whether the Ministry liked it or not; its arrival thick in the air like the rising pressure before a storm. You could run inside and close the curtains all you want, but eventually, the rain would come.

When Shaye startled awake after dozing off in her seat, she stared out the window and was a little surprised to see that they had already arrived at the Hogwarts Station and that the sun had set and the night sky was there to greet her.

"We're here already?" Shaye asked as she stood up, filed out of the compartment and followed her friends off the train. "I felt like I closed my eyes for two minutes."

"You were out pretty quickly," Hermione told her. "We decided to let you sleep. You looked like you needed it. Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

Shaye stretched her sore neck, which was out of sorts after the way it had been bent while she slept on the train. "I spent most of the summer sleeping," she said. "I slept fine last night too. I guess everything going on has just been a little overwhelming."

"You mean the fact that your and Harry's dads both fought in the Order together?" Ron asked.

Shaye nodded. "Among other things, yes."

Hermione snickered. "Or maybe she means being reunited with George again."

Ron groaned. Harry chuckled. Shaye smiled softly. "That's one of the other things."

"I'm surprised the Ministry is still letting you walk around free, Potter." the annoying, self-entitled tone of Draco could be heard behind the group of four as they walked along the platform. "You better enjoy it while you can. I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it."

Harry suddenly lunged at Draco and his goons, Crabbe and Goyle. Ron held him back before he could do anything he would regret, however. He had already almost been expelled before the year had even started. He didn't need to go picking fights on the first night, even if it was Draco.

"What'd I tell you?" Draco huffed as he, Crabbe and Goyle walked off. "Complete nutter."

"Just stay away from me!" Harry warned. 

Eventually, Ron let Harry go. "It's only Malfoy." he reminded Harry. "What do you expect?"

Huffing, Harry stalked off. Shaye, Ron and Hermione followed behind, giving him some distance to cool off a little. He seemed a little more touchy than usual, as evidenced by the incident with Draco, but that was to be expected after everything he had gone through the year previous. Shaye was sure she would be the same way if she hadn't become overcome with grief instead of anger.

Harry seemed to lighten up a little when they arrived at the wooded path to wait for the horseless carriages and he spotted Cho Chang. He had had a crush on her since the beginning of last year and apparently, it was still going strong.

As the four watched Cho and her friends ride off in their carriage, Neville came up from behind to stand with them. In one arm, he was cradling some sort of plant. It looked like a puffy cactus, but it was moving.

"Hi, guys." Neville greeted.

"Hey, Neville." the group of four turned to him in unison.

Hearing the wheels of a carriage coming up behind them, Shaye turned around and was beyond shocked when she came face to face with the creature that was pulling the carriage. It looked like a black horse, but one that had been dead for a very long time and was somehow still living and breathing. The skin on the creature was so thin that Shaye could see every bone protruding on its skinny body. Its eyes were milky white and it had a beak almost like a hippogriff.

Shaye had to do a double-take to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Usually, the carriages pulled themselves. When did that change?

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Shaye turned to him, thankful she wasn't crazy. "You see it too?"

"See what?" Ron turned, his expression just as confused as Hermione's and Neville's.

"That," Shaye pointed to the creature in front of herself, "pulling the carriage."

"Nothing's pulling the carriage," Hermione said, a worried look flashing across her face. "It's pulling itself, like always."

Harry shook his head and stepped closer to the creature. "No, it's not."

Shaye and Harry shared a look, unsure if it was the two of them that were losing it or everyone else.

"You're not going mad," a blonde girl who was already sitting in the carriage said. She lowered the magazine she was reading to look at Shaye and Harry; only, the magazine was upside down. "I can see them, too. You're just as sane as I am."

Unable to decide if that made her feel better or not, Shaye shrugged her shoulders and climbed into the carriage with the girl. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville followed.

"Everyone, this is Loony Love-" Hermione began to introduce the girl but stopped herself, her cheeks turning a red shade of embarrassment. "Luna Lovegood." Hermione corrected herself.

Luna, however, didn't seem to have noticed the mistake. 

"What an interesting necklace." Hermione gestured to the one hanging around Luna's neck in order to change the subject.

"It's a charm, actually," Luna said before leaning in and lowering her voice. "Keeps away the nargles."

Everyone fell silent, unsure what to say or if they should say anything at all. Shaye looked over at Hermione and gave an encouraging nod, silently assuring her that she understood the nickname 'Loony' now.

"Hungry," Luna stated out of the blue. "I hope there's pudding."

As the carriage began to move down the dark, wooded path, Ron leaned in toward Hermione. "What's a nargle?" he asked in a whisper.

Hermione shook her head. "No idea."

Shaye and Harry, on the other hand, were too busy staring at the black horse-like creature to participate much in the severe lack of conversation. 

In a few short minutes, the carriage was pulling up outside of the castle at about the same time as the boats full of first years were docking. Usually, Hagrid was the one leading the first-years, but not this year. Shaye was so used to seeing his large frame towering over the tiny 11-year-olds. She smiled when she thought back to when she, Harry, Ron and Hermione were first-years being led by Hagrid. 

Everything had been so much simpler back then.

Together, the group of six disembarked from the carriage and headed into the castle and toward the Great Hall where the echoing thunder of conversation was originating from. Luna, who was a Ravenclaw, waved goodbye to the group as she went to join her house table. Everyone else found a spot at the Gryffindor table and watched happily as the first-years were sorted.

After the sorting ceremony, the tables filled high with a spectacular assortment of food for the start-of-year feast. Shaye hadn't known how hungry she really was until she was piling mashed potatoes and apple pie onto her plate.

Looking over, Shaye noticed that Seamus, Dean and a few other Gryffindors had opted to sit as far away from Harry and Shaye as possible. Seamus glanced over for a brief second before looking away. He didn't even say hello.

"Wonder what that's about." Shaye mused.

Harry sighed. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Before Shaye or Harry could put much more thought into it, Dumbledore took to his podium to address the students. "Good evening, children." he started. The various conversations died out and in mere seconds, the Hall was silent. "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave."

"Hagrid's on leave?" Shaye furrowed her brows.

"I didn't know," Harry answered. "I hope he comes back soon."

"We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge." Dumbledore gestured to a woman sitting at the very end of the right side of the teacher's table. Although, she would have been hard to miss considering she was dressed head to toe in bright pink. Even Snape and McGonagall seemed put off by her presence. "And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you-"

Dumbledore was cut off by a high-pitched sound. All heads turned toward Professor Umbridge, who was slowly rising from her chair and making her way to the front of the room.

"She was at my hearing," Harry said. "She works for Fudge."

Shaye nodded. "Seems right. She looks like a rat as much as Fudge acts like one."

Once the Hall's attention was on her, Umbridge cleared her throat, recreating the earlier high-pitched sound. "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." she stepped in front of the podium, slyly signifying that she was more important than Dumbledore. "And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

"That's likely." Fred and George muttered, their chins resting on their hands as they glared up at the lady in pink.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance." Umbridge continued. "Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

With that, Umbridge returned to her seat as Dumbledore led a very meager and lackluster round of applause for her. "Thank you, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said. "That really was most illuminating."

"Illuminating?" Ron scoffed. "What a load of waffles."

Harry scooted closer. "What does it mean?"

"It means the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," Hermione answered. 

By the time Dumbledore had finished giving the usual warnings and words of advice to the students and the food had vanished from the tables, Shaye was more than ready for sleep, despite the fact that she had slept almost the entire train ride.

When Shaye and Harry stepped through the portrait hole, the common room hushed up right away. All heads turned toward the two friends. 

"Looks like it's not just Seamus and Dean," Shaye whispered as she spotted Seamus holding one of the many defamatory issues of the Daily Prophet in his hands. On the front cover, Shaye and Harry were standing side by side and a large question mark was covering them. The title read **Mr. Plotter and Miss Fraud**. 

"Dean, Seamus, good holiday?" Harry tried to break through the suffocating tension.

"All right." Dean nodded as people moved clear across the common room to be away from Shaye and Harry. "Better than Seamus', anyway."

On cue, Seamus threw down the newspaper and stood from the chair he was sitting in. "Me mum didn't want me to come back this year," he said as the entire common room watched the confrontation in silence. 

Shaye decided to play ball. "Why not?" she inquired.

"Let me see . . . ugh, because of you and Harry," he said. "The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you two. And about Dumbledore as well."

"What, and your mum believes them?" Harry asked.

Seamus shrugged. "Well, nobody was there the night Cedric died."

Shaye opened her mouth to retort but Harry beat her to it. "Oh, well I guess you should read the Prophet then, like your stupid mother." Harry shot back. "It'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!" Seamus yelled.

"I'll have a go at anyone that calls us liars." Harry snapped. 

Just then, Ron walked in. "What's going on?" he asked, having only heard the raised voices and the tail-end of the conversation.

"They're mad is what's going on." Seamus jabbed his finger toward Shaye and Harry. "Do you believe the rubbish they've come out with about You-Know-Who?"

"Yeah, I do." Ron stood up for his friends. "Does anyone else have a problem with them?"

Deciding not to stick around for a moment longer, Harry turned and hurried up the stairs. Ron followed him, leaving Shaye alone to be the sole target of the prying eyes. 

"You can believe what you want, Seamus. I frankly don't give a damn," she told him, suddenly completely unbothered by the fact that the entire common room was watching her like a hawk. "My mum didn't want me coming back this year either, and I think it's safe to say I've got a lot more at stake than you do. But instead of burying my head in the sand like a scared child and refusing to accept the facts because it makes me feel better, I decided to buck up and face reality. So I guess you have a choice to make: which side of history do you want to be on? And that question goes for all of you." she turned to look at every single person in the room. "Not that it matters much anyway, though . . . Voldemort will try to kill you and your family either way."

Without another word, Shaye turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs as well. She could hear someone following her but assumed it was Hermione, so she didn't stop. As she reached for the doorknob to the girls' dormitory, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that." George's voice was soft and quiet. "I promise not everyone feels the same way as him. They're just scared."

Without thinking, Shaye turned around and buried her face into George's chest. His arms wrapped around her tightly. "Yeah, well I'm scared too," she said, her voice breaking a little. "It doesn't give me or anyone else an excuse to act like a twat though."

"No, it doesn't. You're right." he agreed before cracking a smile. "You did tell him off pretty good though."

Shaye chuckled softly. "I just unloaded the better part of two months worth of internalized sadness and anger on him. He deserved it though . . . some friend he is."

"Who needs him?" George leaned down and pressed his lips to Shaye's. "You've got me . . . and I'm not going anywhere."


	62. Pick Your Battles

It was the first day of classes—more specifically, the first day of Defense Against the Dark Arts with Dolores Umbridge in charge of the lesson plan. Anticipation was high throughout the classroom as the students waited for Umbridge to arrive. The big question was: how was the Ministry going to alter the way Hogwarts operated?

Ducking a flying paper bird that one of the Patil twins had made, Shaye slid into her seat next to Hermione and put down her bag. She was no stranger to the looks she was getting, especially after her outburst the night before, but by then she was indifferent to them. Let them stare all they wanted. Sooner or later, they would realize they were wrong.

As the paper bird continued to fly around the class, Seamus swatting at it and Crabbe pelting it with his sling-shot, the entire room watched and laughed as it drifted down toward the desks once more. Then, in the blink of an eye, the bird caught flame and fell down onto the Patil twins' desk, the paper singed black and still red hot around the edges.

Everyone looked to the back of the room to see Umbridge, still dressed from head to toe in pink, with a wicked smile on her face and her wand in the air. So this was how class was going to be.

"Good morning, children." Umbridge greeted in her obnoxiously sweet tone. She spoke to the class as if they were five and not 15. "Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations." She flicked her wand, the words appearing on the chalkboard at the front of the room as she strode between the desks. "O-W-L's. More commonly known as OWLs. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."

With another flick of Umbridge's wand, three stacks of textbooks drifted from the tables at the front of the room and down the aisles of students. Before long, each student had a book in front of them.

Shaye looked down at the textbook on the desk and scoffed at the cartoon drawings of witches and the title, which read **Dark Arts Defense: Basics for Beginners**. If there was one thing she wasn't, it was a beginner. 

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven." Umbridge carried on. "But you'll be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"

It was then that Shaye noticed that Hermione had her hand in the air.

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." Hermione had her book opened to the table of contents. 

"Using spells?" Umbridge actually laughed. "Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

A collective expression of 'what did she just say?' spread over every single student's face. Surely she wasn't suggesting learning defensive magic without actually performing the spells? What would be the use in that? It would be like McGonagall telling the class how to transform a bird into a goblet and then not letting them practice it themselves.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron voiced what everyone was thinking.

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way," Umbridge said. 

Harry furrowed his brows. "Well, what use is that? If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free."

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." Umbridge snapped as she returned to the front of the room. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which, after all, is what school is all about."

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Harry asked. 

Umbridge's smile was sickeningly sweet. "There is nothing out there, dear."

"I've literally almost died at least four times," Shaye spoke up. "And they were all on school grounds."

Umbridge shook her head, completely dismissing Shaye's statement. "Who do you imagine would want to attack children, like yourself?"

"Oh, I don't know . . . maybe Lord Voldemort," Harry answered. The room broke out into hushed conversations. The sound of a pencil dropping was nearly deafening. 

Umbridge observed the classroom carefully, the corners of her Ministry-approved smile faltering ever-so-slightly. "Now let me make this quite plain." She stepped closer to Harry. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

Shaye's hand curled into a tight fist. "Tell that to Cedric Diggory."

"It's not a lie." Harry denied. "Shaye and I saw him! We fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter and Miss Frazier!" Umbridge handed out the punishment on a dime. 

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" Harry retorted. "Dorian Frazier too?"

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident. As was Mr. Frazier's." Umbridge stood there in front of the class and lied through her teeth. 

Harry could hardly contain his rage. "It was murder! Voldemort sent his Death Eaters after Shaye's father and then killed Cedric himself. You must know that!"

"Enough!" Umbridge shrieked. The entire room fell silent. "Enough. See me later . . . Mr. Potter, Miss Frazier . . . my office."

"How can you stand there and lie to me about my own father's death?" Shaye picked up the beginner's textbook on her desk and tossed at the chalkboard, a faint cloud of white chalk dust accumulating in the air due to the impact. 

Umbridge startled a little before gritting her teeth. "If you weren't a grieving child, I'd have half a mind to give you double detention, Miss Frazier."

"Do it!" Shaye dared before grabbing her bookbag and storming out of the classroom. "See if I give a damn!"

Rushing through the corridor, which was mostly abandoned due to the fact that most students were in class, Shaye fought the overwhelming urge to cry. All she wanted to do was run down to Hagrid's hut and sit in front of the fire with a soothing cup of tea, but she couldn't. She couldn't go back to the common room because there would no doubt be at least one or two Gryffindors there, ready to judge her. It seemed that she had nowhere to go. 

"Cutting class?" a familiar voice called. "That's unlike you. What's the special occasion?"

Stopping in her tracks, Shaye turned to see Fred and George creeping out of one of the currently empty classrooms, a Weasley prank surely waiting inside for whichever poor unfortunate soul entered the room first.

Shaye wasn't sure if it was the sadness or anger that was keeping her from talking, but either way, she knew that as soon as she opened her mouth, the damn in her eyes would break and the waterworks would start. 

Instead, she just shook her head and continued on her way. She heard the twins—mainly George—calling after her, but she still didn't turn around. Letting her legs do all the work, Shaye allowed her internal autopilot to direct her. Soon enough, she found herself sitting against a tree in front of the Black Lake. 

There wasn't a single soul in sight. It was quiet. It was perfect.

Shaye felt her anger subside as she watched the calm ripples in the water lap against the shore. Soon, all that was left was the remaining sorrow that seemed to live permanently in her body. She wondered if this feeling would ever pass. Would there ever be a time when she could think about her father without risking bursting into tears?

"You look like you could use some company." George appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside Shaye.

Shaye sighed. "I was actually hoping to be alone for a little while."

"Well . . . I already walked all the way down here, so you're stuck with me." George shrugged. "Aren't you supposed to be in Defense Against the Dark Arts right now?"

Shaye pushed one of her braids over her shoulder. "You know my timetable?" she asked. 

"Yeah." he grinned. "Is that weird?"

"Maybe a little." Shaye joked. " . . . yeah, I sort of stormed out after Umbridge gave Harry and me detention. She tried to tell me that my father's death was nothing more than a 'tragic accident'. I may have gotten a little mad."

George cocked a brow. "A little mad?"

"I threw a book," she admitted with a slightly mischievous smile on her face. "It felt really good. Kind of upset I stopped at one."

"Probably best you did." George chuckled. "What did she give you for detention?"

"No idea. She just told us to go to her office later."

George snaked his arm around Shaye's shoulders and pulled her close. "Well, as someone who's been in more detention than I can count, take it from me . . . it's usually not that bad."

"Last time I had detention I was sent into the Forbidden Forest and came face to face with the Dark Lord," Shaye said. "Nothing can be worse than that."

"That's the spirit!" 

═══════════════

That evening, as Shaye was heading toward Umbridge's office for her detention, she ran into Harry in the corridor. He, of course, was heading in the same direction.

"I was wondering if you were even going to show up," Harry said. "You okay?"

Shaye nodded. "Yeah, I just had to cool off a bit. I've known that woman for two days and already she's driving me up the wall. I _hate_ her."

"Everyone does."

"Did I miss anything after I stormed out?"

Harry smirked. "Absolutely nothing at all."

Together, the pair of friends entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and climbed the staircase up to the office; the office that had belonged to so many professors before that it was hard to keep track sometimes.

Softly, Harry knocked on the door.

There was a moment of silence and then, "Come in."

As Shaye twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room, the sight of the place nearly knocked her back. It was unlike anything she had seen before; definitely a drastic change from how Quirrell, Lockhart, Lupin or even fake Mad-Eye had kept the place. 

The stone walls had been painted bright pink, unsurprisingly, and the office was decorated with white doilies and fancy plates with meowing cats on them. There were literally hundreds of cat eyes watching Shaye and Harry. 

Somehow, it was more frightening than the Chamber of Secrets and Aragog's lair put together.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. Miss Frazier." Umbridge greeted the two students. "Sit." she gestured to a small desk with two chairs.

Closing the door behind herself, which was probably the only object in the room that wasn't pink, Shaye followed Harry to the desk and sat down next to him. Two blank sheets of paper were sitting in front of them with an hourglass in the corner. Suddenly, she was very worried about what this detention was going to entail.

"You two are going to be doing some lines for me today," Umbridge said. The students reached for their bags. "No, not with your quills. You're going to be using rather special ones of mine."

Standing up from her desk, where a steaming cup of pink tea was sitting, Umbridge walked over to Shaye and Harry and handed them each a black feathered quill. "Now, I want you to write 'I must not tell lies.'"

"How many times?" Harry asked.

"Well, let's say . . . for as long as it takes for the message to sink in."

As Umbridge turned around, Shaye searched the table for a pot of ink. There wasn't one. "You haven't given us any ink," she said.

"Oh, you won't need any ink," Umbridge told them. 

Sharing a bewildered look, Shaye and Harry decided to pick their battles and do as they were told this time around. At the same time, they hunched over their papers and began to write 'I must not tell lies'.

Red ink marked the paper as they wrote, which was odd because the quills had been completely dry when Umbridge had handed them over. Shaye wrote one line and then two, and as she started her third, she began to feel a burning sensation on her left hand. 

When she looked at the back of her hand, she winced slightly at the sight of the red, irritated skin. Then, before her very eyes, the words 'I must not tell lies' etched themselves into her flesh. The burning sensation continued and Shaye couldn't do anything but watch in horror. 

Harry was groaning as well, and when Shaye looked over, the same words were cut into the back of his hand.

When Shaye gently brushed her finger over the marks, the blood smudged a little. The raw, bright red skin grew angrier at the touch. She and Harry continued to stare down at their hands, unable to process what had just happened.

"Yes?" Umbridge walked around to the front of the desk, almost daring them to speak out against her again. 

"Nothing." Harry didn't break eye contact for a second. 

Umbridge nodded. "That's right. Because you know, deep down, you deserve to be punished. Don't you?"

"Y-yes." Shaye swallowed hard.

Umbridge seemed pleased before returning to her own desk and cup of tea. "Go on."

For another hour or so, Shaye and Harry sat in that nauseatingly pink office writing lines and trying not to show just how much pain they were in. As soon as Umbridge gave them the go-ahead to leave, they jumped out of their chairs, grabbed their bags and left as quickly as possible.

"This bloody hurts." Shaye hissed once she and Harry were heading back to the common room.

Harry shook his hand to try and relieve the pain. "Yeah."

By the time the two returned to the common room, the wounds had scarred over heavily—which was remarkably fast—leaving behind puffy, discoloured patches of skin. 

As Harry made a beeline for the couch, where Ron and Hermione were sitting, Shaye made a quick stop by the door where Fred and George were trying to push their Skivving Snackboxes (which were candies that made you sick so you could get out of class) to the young and impressionable first-years. 

"Hey." George smiled when he saw her coming. "So, how bad was it? Did she make you polish her pink shoes?"

"I wish." Shaye showed her injured hand to him. "That would have hurt a lot less."

"Merlin!" George jumped up from his seat and took Shaye's hand in his. "She can't do that! The teachers aren't allowed to use physical punishment on the students."

Fred nodded in agreement. "If they could, George and I would be deformed beyond recognition."

"Something tells me the MInistry has got alternate views when it comes to punishment." Shaye gently slid her hand out of George's grip and covered the marks with her sleeve. "It doesn't hurt as much as it did though, which I guess is a good thing."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Worry flashed in George's brown eyes. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Can we offer you a free Skivving Snakebox?" Fred offered.

Shaye chuckled and shook her head. "No, thank you." She then turned to the first-year who was sitting between the twins. "Do yourself a favour and don't associate with these two lunatics. You'll thank me later." 

As the first-year ran off, Fred and George groaned. "I don't like your girlfriend." Fred huffed.

Shaye couldn't help but blush. Nobody had called her George's girlfriend before. She hadn't even really thought of herself that way. In her mind, they were just two people who really cared for one another . . . and who kissed sometimes.

"Yeah, well . . ." George's face was red too. He was clearly flustered. He didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you later." Shaye excused herself to save George the trouble of trying to string a coherent sentence together. "And stop trying to poison the first-years."

With that, Shaye joined Harry, Ron and Hermione on the couch. Hermione was holding Harry's hand in hers, examining the scars on his hand. When Shaye sat down and she saw the same marks on her hands, Hermione furrowed her brows. 

"You've got to tell Dumbledore," she said.

"No." Harry shook his head and ripped his hand out of Hermione's grasp. "Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now. Anyway, I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction."

"Bloody hell, Harry, the woman is torturing you," Ron said. "If the parents knew about this . . ."

"Yeah, well, I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron?"

Shaye just sighed. "I can't tell my mum about this. She's already so worried about me."

"You've got to report this." Hermione simply couldn't look the other way. "It's perfectly simple. You're being-"

"No, it's not." Harry cut her off. "Hermione, whatever this is, it's not simple. You don't understand."

Hermione's eyes flickered to the carpet. "Then help us to."

Instead, Harry grabbed his bag and left. Ron and Hermione turned to Shaye for answers.

"We've got to pick our battles," Shaye explained, hoping that it made sense. "Sometimes you've got to lose a few battles in order to win the war."


	63. Educational Decree Number 23

It was early morning and Shaye had just woken up, much earlier than normal. She was heading down to the common room to enjoy what little she could of it while it was empty from the other students, but when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Harry exiting the portrait hole. Wrapping her sweater tight over her uniform, she followed him. Ever since returning to Hogwarts, she had been keeping an eye out for Harry and the effects of his altered personality. He always repaid the favour by being there for her when she was feeling down.

Ron and Hermione had noticed the change in Harry as well but decided it was probably best for them to give Harry some space more often than not. He had been pretty quick to lose his temper with anyone and everyone lately and slowly, those few who remained by Harry's side were starting to drift away. Shaye didn't let the outbursts bother her though. After all, she had plenty of her own.

Exiting the common room and rushing down the corridor, Shaye eventually caught up with Harry and fell into pace beside him. She didn't say anything or ask where they were going. Instead, she followed his lead and watched as he pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of his bag and compose a messily-written letter as they walked.

_**Dear Padfoot,** _

_**I hope you're all right. It's starting to get colder here. Winter is definitely on the way. In spite of being back at Hogwarts, I feel more alone than ever. I know you, of all people, will understand.** _

Once he was done, Harry stuffed the letter and quill into his pocket. Together, the two friends exited the castle, crossed the bridge and absentmindedly ventured down to Hagrid's hut. The absence of the usual plums of smoke coming from the chimney was a sorrowful sight. Still, they stepped up to the doorway, completing their routine of visiting Hagrid except for knocking on the door.

It was then that a loud, almost howling sound echoed through the brisk fall sky. When Shaye and Harry looked up, they spotted one of the black horse-like creatures flying over the cabin and landing somewhere in the woods. Shaye hadn't noticed that the creatures had wings before, but then again, she hadn't been totally convinced that what she was seeing had been real.

"Either we've really lost it or those creatures are new," Shaye said as she started toward the trees, her curiosity getting the better of her.

With Shaye leading the way, she and Harry ventured into the woods that surrounded Hagrid's hut and tried their best to head in the direction of where the creature had landed. Neither one of them knew why, exactly, they were so keen on seeing them. Maybe it was to prove to themselves once and for all that they were real. Maybe it was to focus on something other than the return of Voldemort and the wrath of Umbridge. Maybe they were just intrigued.

When the trio came to a small clearing with bright green foliage and a small stream, they were surprised to see at least five of the mysterious creatures wandering about. They seemed completely undisturbed by the students' presence.

In the middle of the clearing, Shaye spotted Luna Lovegood. Luna was petting one of the creatures like a muggle would with a common horse. She seemed completely at home, if only for that fact that she was barefoot.

"Hello." Luna greeted the two without even turning to look at them.

Slowly, Shaye and Harry approached her. "Your feet," Harry noted. "Aren't they cold?"

"A bit." Luna nodded, but there was no indication that the cold bothered her. "Unfortunately, all my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect nargles are behind it."

Shaye nodded along as if everything that Luna was saying made complete sense.

"What are they?" Harry finally asked the question that was gnawing at the back of his mind. The creature Luna had been petting began to walk off, its wings flapping as it let out a loud, echoing cry. It's bony, thin tail swished back and forth.

"They're called thestrals," Luna said. "They're quite gentle, really, but people avoid them because they're a bit . . ."

" . . . different." Harry watched as a baby thestral stepped out from behind a tree.

Shaye smiled as she watched the baby approach its mother. "Why can't the others see them?" she inquired.

"They can only be seen by people who've seen death," Luna explained.

Suddenly, it made sense. Shaye and Harry had never been able to see them until now because, until last year, they had never seen anyone die. Then Cedric was killed right before their very eyes.

"So . . . you've known someone who's died then?" Harry asked.

"My mum," Luna answered without a second of hesitation. "She was quite an extraordinary witch, but she did like to experiment, and one day, one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine."

"I'm sorry." Shaye and Harry said as one.

"Yes, it was rather horrible," Luna said as she stepped closer to the young thestral. "I do feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've got Dad. We both believe you, by the way. That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and you fought him, and the Ministry and the Prophet are conspiring against you two and Dumbledore."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. It seems you're about the only ones that do."

"I don't think that's true." Luna then reached into her knitted bag, pulled out an apple and tossed it toward the baby thestral. The thestral sniffed the fruit before shaking its head disapprovingly. "But I suppose that's how he wants you to feel."

"What do you mean?" Shaye asked.

"Well, if I were You-Know-Who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else, because, if it's just you two alone, you're not as much of a threat," Luna spoke wisely as she reached into her bag once more, this time pulling out a chunk of raw meat. When she tossed that to the baby thestral, it ate it right up without any complaints.

Shaye stuffed her cold hands into the pockets of her sweater. "I never thought about it like that," she admitted.

"Not a lot of people think about things the way that I do." Luna smiled.

With the morning breeze growing colder, the three students bid farewell to the thestrals and returned to the castle just in time for breakfast. Luna muttered something under her breath before parting ways and Shaye and Harry continued toward the Gryffindor table, where Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting together.

Awkwardly, the duo approached.

"Can we join you?" Harry asked.

A flash of sadness flickered in Hermione's eyes, the fact that her friends felt the need to ask to sit with her pulling at her heartstrings. Before she could answer and make some room for them, however, the raised voices of Umbridge and McGonagall drifted into the Great Hall from the corridor, quickly drawing a crowd.

"Pardon me, Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge questioned.

By the time Shaye, Harry and the others got out into the corridor to see what was happening, the two professors were standing on the stairs, facing one another like they were in a standoff.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices," McGonagall retorted. The crowd grew even larger.

"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom," Umbridge said as she stepped onto the next highest step, leaving her looking down at McGonagall. It was a power move if ever Shaye had seen one. "Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores." McGonagall stepped up as well, challenging the woman in pink. "Merely your medieval methods."

"I . . . am sorry, dear . . . but to question my practices is to question the Ministry, and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

McGonagall's face went pale as she retreated down a step. "Disloyalty," she repeated. She seemed physically hurt by the word.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared." Umbridge stepped up once more before turning to address the gathering of students. "Cornelius will want to take immediate action."

That was the beginning of the proclamation wall, and in turn, the reign of Dolores Umbridge.

The first framed educational decree stated that Dolores Umbridge had been appointed the position of High Inquisitor at Hogwarts. Before long, the original, small changes Umbridge had made to Hogwarts seemed like nothing compared to the reform she was introducing to the school.

Couples were no longer allowed to display any sort of affection on school grounds. Uniforms were held to the highest of high standards, with a loose tie or scuffed shoe leaving you teetering on the edge of detention.

On top of that, Umbridge had started evaluating all of the professors and the classes that they taught. And not just in private, either. Umbridge would stroll around, asking questions and taking notes right in the middle of class, with students present.

Umbridge questioned Trelawney's ability to actually perform the general skills of divination, like predicting things and giving prophecies. She not-so-subtly taunted Snape for never being able to secure the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position. She even pulled out a measuring tape and measured Flitwick.

In mere weeks, the school had become a prison. No fun and games in the courtyard (which Fred and George had learned the hard way.) No music during study hours. All Weasley products would be immediately banned. Proper dress and decorum were to be maintained at all times.

Soon, the once empty wall that had been deemed the 'proclamation wall' was filled to the brim with decrees. Besides Umbridge, Filch was the only person with a smile on his face when he was given the go-ahead to put up yet another strict rule onto the wall. In his eyes, the school was finally being run properly and the punishments were finally harsh enough.

With the way things were going, the rising tensions were sure to cause someone to snap. And so they did.

Everything came to a head one cloudy afternoon in the courtyard. The sight was heartbreaking. Standing on the cobblestone, her trunks packed and stacked around herself, Trelawney was begging Umbridge not to fire her. Students had come from all over the school as soon as the news started to spread. Shaye was no different. She had to see this for herself.

Trelawney watched in shock as Filch sat her last trunk down in front of her. "Six . . . 16 years I've lived and taught here," she told Umbridge, trying her best not to cry. "Hogwarts is my home. You can't do this."

"Actually, I can," Umbridge said without a sliver of empathy in her tone.

Unable to watch from the sidelines anymore, McGonagall pushed through the sea of students and rushed to her friend. As Trelawney broke down into sobs, McGonagall hugged her tight while glaring at Umbridge.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge dared McGonagall with a grin on her face.

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say." McGonagall shot back. It was empowering to watch her, unlike many of the other teachers at Hogwarts, resist the all-encompassing terror of Umbridge.

Instead of unloading all of her true feelings right then and there, however, McGonagall too chose to pick her battles and focused on comforting Trelawney.

It was then that the large doors of the castle swung open, the loud noise drawing attention. All heads turned and watched as Dumbledore himself stepped out into the courtyard with a cool stride and calm demeanour.

Shaye could hardly believe her eyes. Dumbledore had barely been seen since the start-of-year feast. It had seemed that he too had bowed to the might of the Ministry.

However, it now appeared that he had not.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" he requested.

Trelawney's face flushed red with emotion. "Oh, thank you." she held her shaking hand out to Dumbledore as McGonagall ushered her back into the castle and away from the crowd of onlookers.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that, under the terms of Educational Decree Number 23, as enacted by the Minister-" Umbridge started.

"-you have the right to dismiss my teachers." Dumbledore finished for her. "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster."

Umbridge simply smiled. "For now."

Without another word, Dumbledore turned, the sea of students parting for him, and disappeared back inside the castle. "Don't you all have studying to do?!" he shouted as he left.

"Professor!" Harry tried to catch up with Dumbledore in order to have a word with him, but by the time he had made it through the crowd and back into the school, the headmaster had vanished.

With Umbridge now in charge of Hogwarts for the most part, it was hard to tell when he would be seen again. Or _if_ he would be seen again.


	64. Some Sort of Wizard Army

"That foul, evil old gargoyle!" Hermione seethed as she paced back a forth in front of the fireplace in the common room. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves. We're not learning how to pass our OWLs. She's taking over the entire school."

When Hermione finished ranting, everyone turned to the old radio sitting on the table that Harry was sitting at. From the device, Cornelius Fudge's voice could be heard. 

_" . . . and security has been and will remain the Ministry's top priority."_ Harry reached over to turn up the volume. _"Furthermore, we have convincing evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer Sirius Black. Make no mistake-"_

"Harry!" a familiar voice called throughout the room. The group of four looked around, but there was no one else in the common room with them. 

Harry then spotted the face of his godfather in the embers of the fireplace, like the previous year, and rushed over. "Sirius!" He knelt down in front of the fireplace. "What are you doing here?"

"Answering your letter," Sirius said. "You said you were worried about Umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"

Before long, Shaye, Ron and Hermione had gathered around Harry. While Shaye had seen this before, Ron and Hermione were a little taken aback by the face in the flames.

"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all," Harry told him. 

"Well, I'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"Combat?" Ron questioned. "What does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," Sirius said. "That Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this, but things aren't going at all well with the Order. Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn, and these disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move."

Shaye took a moment to process everything. "Well, what can we do?" she asked.

Just then, there was a sound from upstairs.

"Someone's coming." Sirius had heard the sound as well. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but for now at least, it looks like you're on your own."

With that, Sirius' face disappeared from the fire and the flames died out. The common room's warm glow vanished. 

Together, the group of four moved over to the window, which was being pelted by the pouring rain outside. Beyond the window, thunder was rumbling in the sky and lightning was illuminating the night. 

Shaye couldn't tell if it was a bad omen or a plain and simple storm.

"He really is out there, isn't he?" Hermione stared into the vast darkness of the night sky. "We've got to be able to defend ourselves," she said before anyone had the chance to answer her previous question. "And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will."

With another flash of lightning, Hermione turned to look directly at Harry. Hermione didn't specifically voice what it was she was thinking, exactly, but her insinuation was clear as day.

Harry was silent. At first, he didn't say yes . . . but he also didn't say no. 

It took some convincing; about a month of it, to be specific. But eventually, Harry had agreed. He, just like everyone else, knew that something needed to be done. And just like usual, he was the one who was going to step up and do it.

"This is mad," Harry stated as the group wandered through the snow-covered town of Hogsmeade. Obviously, he was having second thoughts . . . _again_. "Who'd want to be taught by me? I'm a nutter, remember?"

Shaye just rolled her eyes as she tried not to slip on the icy path that led them to their meeting spot, the Hog's Head. She had been the one to talk Harry off of the ledge many times before. Someone else could deal with him this time.

"Look on the bright side. You can't be any worse than old toad face," Ron said. It wasn't exactly helpful, but it was better than nothing.

Harry scoffed. "Thanks, Ron."

Ron nodded. "I'm here for you, mate."

"I don't know why Shaye can't do it instead of me." Harry huffed. "She's fought Voldemort as much as I have."

"My defensive magic is nowhere near as advanced as yours is, Harry, and you know that," Shaye reminded him. "If this was a matter of teaching Care of Magical Creatures or even Transfiguration, maybe, but it's not. Besides, I already said I'd help. What more do you want?"

Harry just groaned in defeat. "Who's supposed to be meeting us then?" he asked as they entered the establishment.

"Just a couple of people," Hermione answered.

When the four stepped inside, they stopped in their tracks. The Hog's Head was completely deserted. There was a single, empty table in the middle of the room and the barman, who looked about Dumbledore's age, just glared at the students.

"Lovely spot," Ron commented as a mouse ran past his foot.

Just then, a goat let out a bleat and walked out from behind the bar and into the back room.

"I thought it would be safer, somewhere off the beaten track" Hermione said.

While the barman took off after the goat without a single word to the four students, Shaye gestured to the empty table and the four moved it into the corner before setting up chairs around the room.

Before long, people started arriving. Fred, George and Ginny were among the first. Followed by the Patil twins, then Neville, Luna, Cho and even Dean. What had started out as a 'couple of people' soon extended into a group of about twenty or so. Given the current stance at the school regarding Harry, Shaye and Voldemort, it was a shock that even this many had turned up.

Taking the lead, Hermione rose from her chair to address the gathering of students. "Um . . . hi." she started, unsure what to say. "So . . . you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

"Why?" one of the boys asked.

"Why?!" Ron mocked him. "'Cause You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot."

The boy didn't even flinch. "So they say." He eyed Shaye and Harry.

"So Dumbledore says." Hermione corrected. 

"So Dumbledore says because they say. The point is, where's the proof?"

Shaye just folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "Why are you even here?"

"Because I want proof."

The boy beside him nodded. "If you or Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed . . ."

Harry stood up before Shaye had a chance to respond. "We're not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now. Come on, Hermione, let's go. They're just here 'cause they all think we're some sort of freaks."

"Just wait." Hermione stopped him.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna asked, breaking the crowd's silence. 

Shaye nodded. "Yes," she answered for Harry. "I've seen it. So has Hermione."

"Blimey, Harry, I didn't know you could do that," Dean said.

"And he killed a Basilisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville added. 

"It's true," Ginny confirmed. 

"Third year, he fought off about 100 dementors at once," Ron said. 

Hermione nodded. "And last year, he and Shaye really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh." 

"Well, Harry did most of the fighting . . . but yes." Shaye sighed. "We really did."

"Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck," Harry said. "I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I nearly always had help."

Hermione smirked. "He's just being modest."

"No, Hermione, I'm not. And Shaye will agree with me." Harry turned to Shaye and she nodded. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow, but out there . . . when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes . . . you don't know what that's like."

With that, Harry returned to his seat.

"You're right, Harry, we don't." Hermione agreed. "That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of beating . . . Voldemort."

"He's really back?" Realization washed over the boy in the front row's face. He was the youngest in the room, by far. 

Shaye and Harry nodded together.

In a matter of minutes, the entire mood inside the Hog's Head had shifted. Most of the students had gone from skeptical to believing and all it took was Harry's brutally honest speech. 

Soon enough, everyone was lining up to sign the sign-up sheet that Hermione had laid out on the table. With every name added to the list, Shaye felt just a little bit more confident in their plan.

After a well-spent hour, the group of four, along with some of their friends, left Hogsmeade with a list full of names and a boost in their spirits.

"Right. First, we need to find a place to practice where Umbridge won't find out," Harry said as they crossed over the bridge that would take them back to the castle.

"The Shrieking Shack?" Ginny suggested.

"Before, that would have been a perfect spot." Shaye absentmindedly slipped her hand into George's as they walked. "But after the turnout today, I think it'll be too small."

"Forbidden Forest?" Hermione thought outside of the box.

Ron scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

"Too many scary spiders." Shaye laughed. 

"Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?" Ginny asked what was probably one of the most important questions of the day.

"Who cares?" Hermione grinned. "I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it? Breaking the rules."

The group laughed.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Ron joked. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today." Hermione smiled at Harry. 

Harry cocked a brow. "What's that?"

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you, could she?"

Harry's cheeks turned bright red but he pushed through and tried to distract himself with planning. "Right. Over the next few days, we should each come up with a couple of possibilities of places we can practice. We've got to make sure wherever it is, there's no chance she can find us."

The planning was in full swing as the students entered the castle, but the joy and excitement didn't last long. By that afternoon, a brand new proclamation had gone up on the wall. And with it, a school-wide announcement from Umbridge herself. 

_"All student organizations are henceforth disbanded. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled."_

As Shaye watched Filch hammer the steel peg into the stone wall, securing the framed proclamation in place, she tried to understand how Umbridge could have found out so quickly. There was no way this was some incredible coincidence, so this new rule had to be about their defence club. 

"Do you think someone told her?" George whispered. He was standing next to Shaye.

"I sure hope not," Shaye said as she and George turned and headed down the corridor. "It would be a real shame for this thing to end before it's even really begun." She paused. "Thanks for coming today, by the way. If you and Fred hadn't shown up, I don't think we would have had half of the crowd that we did."

George shrugged. "Only 'cause you asked so nicely."

"I only asked nicely because it's you." Shaye smiled. "But then again, Harry and I don't have a lot of people to turn to these days."

"It'll get better," George said optimistically. "In fact, after today, I think it already has."

"Yeah. I think so too." Shaye agreed as they turned down an empty corridor and continued on their way. "Now all we have to do is find a safe place to practice."

As Shaye said that, a subtle rumbling sound came from the empty wall to their right. Stopping in their tracks, the couple turned and watched with wide eyes as the once plain area of brick began to crumble and shift into the shape of a beautiful set of black steel doors. The designs on the door were immensely intricate, but it wasn't that that had Shaye's jaw dropping; it wasn't even the fact that a mystery door had appeared out of nowhere right in front of her eyes.

The reason that Shaye had suddenly become so overwhelmed with shock and bewilderment was that she had just realized she and George were on the fourth floor. This was the very spot that her sister's map had led her to in her first year.

This was the hidden hiding place. 

This could be their hidden hiding place. 


	65. Lesson Number One

"You've done it!" Hermione exclaimed as she stared into the large, perfectly-suitable room that Shaye and George had accidentally stumbled upon. "You've found the Room of Requirement."

"The what?" Ron asked.

"It's also known as the Come and Go Room," Hermione said. "The Room of Requirement only appears when a person has real need of it and is always equipped for the seeker's needs."

Ron thought for a moment. "So . . . say you really need the toilet."

"Charming, Ronald." Hermione rolled her eyes. "But, yes, that is the general idea."

"It's brilliant." Harry beamed. "It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back."

As Shaye ventured further into the room, she could hardly believe just how large it was. The majority of the space was completely empty, save a few practice dummies that were piled into one of the dark corners. Because it was getting dark outside, the room wasn't very well lit at the moment. The only real source of light was the roaring fire from the huge fireplace across the way. 

There were mirrors on the walls for observation of technique and plenty of room for twenty students to practice defensive spells. It was exactly what Hermione had said; it was perfectly equipped for the seeker's needs. And in this case, Shaye had been seeking a place to practice.

"This is the same room that my sister's map led to," Shaye said. "But, surely she hadn't been looking for something like this. So the Room of Requirement must have looked different to her."

"Did you ever figure out why your sister had left the map with Hattie?" Hermione questioned. 

Shaye shook her head. "No. Only that she wanted her to keep it safe. I wish I could put the puzzle pieces together but I don't even know what I'm looking for . . . and following the rules of this room, if I don't know what I want, the room can't give it to me."

"We'll figure it out." Harry encouraged her. "But in the meantime, we've found the perfect place to practice where Umbridge can't find us. So, we begin tomorrow."

And just like that, after classes the following day, the entirety of the students who had signed up at the Hog's Head had arrived at the Room of Requirement for the first meeting. Harry had decided to start out with something easy, so the first thing he thought everyone ought to know was how to disarm an opponent. 

Disarming spells had been in Defense Against the Dark Arts in previous years, of course—it was one of the first things taught, actually—but this didn't mean that everyone was as proficient as they should be.

As the dummy with the painted circle on its chest (which acted as a target) rose its fake wand, the line of students behind Neville waited to see if he would be able to pull off the spell that Harry had just spent the past half-hour reviewing with the everyone.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Neville shouted. Unfortunately, his own wand flew out of his hand, flying backwards and nearly hitting everyone in the head before it crashed into the wall. Neville's face fell. "I'm hopeless."

"You're just flourishing your wand too much. Try it like this." Harry explained before demonstrating. " _Expelliarmus!_ " 

With a quick flick of the wrist, Harry had managed to send the dummy's wand flying out of its wooden hand. The wand landed a few meters away.

It was a short and simple first lesson, but by the end of it, quite a few members had gotten better at disarming their opponent. Fred and George kept trying to disarm each other from across the room while Shaye and Harry walked around, correcting techniques and giving encouragement.

Over the next couple of weeks, the group met in the Room of Requirement as often as possible. During the day, while they sat in their horrid classes, mind-numbingly copying notes from their textbooks and not using a lick of magic, they dreamed of what spell Harry would choose to teach or work on next.

During the evenings, Shaye tried to figure out the connection between the Room of Requirement, the map and her sister. But of course, like all clues in Lorelei's disappearance, it seemed to lead to nothing but more dead ends.

It didn't take long to notice that Flich was on to quite a few students, as many of them reported him following them on their way to the meetings. He was never, however, able to get into the Room of Requirement.

Somehow, knowing that Filch and Umbridge knew about the meetings and still hadn't found a way to stop them yet was even more exciting. 

"Stunning is one of the most useful spells in your arsenal," Harry said as he strode between the two lines of students during the next meeting. He had slowly become more confident at teaching and, in turn, everyone had begun to learn more than they could have ever imagined. "It's sort of a wizard's bread and butter, really. So, um, come on then, Nigel. Give me your best shot."

Everyone watched as Harry took his place on the opposite end of the room from Nigel. Standing in front of the roaring fire, Nigel drew in a deep breath before throwing his arm into the air and shouting, " _Stupefy!_ "

Surprisingly enough, Harry was actually knocked off of his feet. The force of the spell sent Nigel flying backward as well, however. Both boys let out a groan as they hit the floor.

"Good." Harry slowly sat up again. "Not bad at all, Nigel. Well done."

"Very impressive." Shaye chuckled as she helped Harry to his feet again. Then, she turned to everyone else. While Harry had begun to grow into his role as teacher, Shaye had also begun to grow into the role of the assistant teacher. "All right, let's have another pair up. Ron, Hermione, you guys wanna give it a shot?"

Ron, as smugly as he could be, stepped out from between Fred and George. Hermione, who was never one to boast, simply took her place. 

"Don't go easy on him," Shaye told Hermione with a grin.

Hermione shook her head. "Never."

It was then that Ron walked up to the two girls. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you." He looked almost sad for Hermione that she had the great misfortune of going up against him.

Hermione scoffed. "Thanks, Ronald."

With Hermione standing in front of the fireplace, Ron began to cross to the other side of the room. In the meantime, Shaye joined the gathering of students on the sidelines. She could hear Fred and George whispering about something or another.

"Come on, Ron!" the twins cheered for their brother.

"One sickle," Fred whispered.

George nodded. "You're on."

The room went silent as Ron and Hermione stared each other down. Then, Ron began to lift his wand. His mouth opened but before he could get a single syllable out, Hermione flicked her wand and shouted, " _Stupefy!_ "

Ron let out an involuntary whimper as she shot through the air and landed on his behind. 

The room broke out into murmuring and laughter. Defeated, Fred handed over the sickle to George. He had lost the bet.

"Thank you." George slyly stuffed the coins into his pocket.

Fred huffed. "Shut up."

Pushing himself up onto his feet, Ron shuffled back over to the sidelines, defeat etched into his features. "I let her do that." he lied. "It's good manners, isn't it? It was completely intentional."

"Right." Shaye looked over at the group of giggling girls that had surrounded Hermione.

"If you're so confident, why don't you go up there in front of everyone then?" Ron suggested. His ego was clearly bruised, but Shaye wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

Shaye nodded in agreement. "Fine. I'll face anyone here. Who shall it be, Ron?"

"George," he said without a second of hesitation.

Shaye knew he was trying to throw her off, but it wasn't going to work. "All right." She started to take her position in front of the fireplace. "Come on, George."

By then, the room had caught on to the new challenge and was eagerly returning to the sidelines to watch. Fred and Ron were making some sort of bet and George was slowly making his way across the room.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" George asked as he drew his wand. "I _am_ two years ahead of you."

Shaye just smirked. "Then it's going to be two times more embarrassing for you when I beat you."

Shaye didn't want George holding anything back or letting her win, so with a little bit of taunting, she knew she could get him just riled up enough to give it his all. As the room quieted down, Shaye looked over at Hermione, who gave her a quick wink. The wink meant 'show no mercy', and of course, she didn't.

Just like Ron, George made the mistake of flicking his wand before starting to recite the spell. It was a dead giveaway and gave Shaye just enough time to react in turn. 

" _Stupefy!_ " Shaye flicked her wand with the speed and accuracy that Harry had taught her. 

Again, just like Ron, George was swept off of his feet. The room let out a series of snickers as they watched the tall redhead go down. 

"All right, everyone, that's enough for today!" Harry announced. "We'll meet back here again tomorrow. Same time."

As the room started to clear out, students leaving in small groups so as not to be caught exiting as one large mass, Shaye walked over to George and offered him a hand up. "Sorry," she apologized with a chuckle. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." George tucked his wand away and rubbed his lower back. "I mean, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I stunned you in front of all of these people?"

Shaye rolled her eyes. "You sound like Ron."

George eyed Shaye carefully as they picked up their bags. "So you're okay with that?"

"With what?" Shaye furrowed her brows. "Kicking your butt? Of course, I am."

"No." George shook his head as the two of them checked to make sure the coast was clear before rushing into the corridor. "With me being your boyfriend . . . and you being my girlfriend."

Shaye faltered in her steps a little. She had not been expecting that. "Oh."

"I tried to gauge your reaction when Fred called you my girlfriend that one time. And just now you didn't seem to mind when I said 'boyfriend,'" he said. "I mean, not that we need titles or anything . . ."

Shaye noticed the flustered expression on George's face and smiled. "Isn't the girl supposed to be the one worrying about things like this?" she teased in order to lighten the mood. "Look, I don't much care what we call ourselves, or what other people call us. I've just got a lot on my mind . . . I always do, you know me. But I do know that I care about you a lot. So, yeah, we're dating . . . or boyfriend and girlfriend . . . or whatever term you want to use that makes Ron pretend to throw up."

"Okay then." George smiled and took Shaye's hand in his. He began to rub his thumb over the mark on the back of her hand. The puffy scar tissue had faded away, leaving behind the faint remnants of the words 'I must not tell lies.' "Does it still hurt?" he asked.

"No," Shaye answered. "Does your back still hurt?"

George smirked. " _Yes_ . . . you could have at least pretended to go easy on me."

"Where's the fun in that?"

As the couple turned a corner, they ran into some of the other members of the defence club. Flich, standing upon his ladder, like always, was hanging yet another proclamation. Educational decree number 82: All students will submit to questioning about suspected illicit activities.

"Now that's _definitely_ about us." Shaye groaned.

As expected, over the course of the next couple of days, Umbridge took every single student into her office to interrogate them about student gatherings and secret clubs. Shaye lied, of course (as did many others), and insisted that she didn't know anything about any sort of business outside of the Ministry-approved classes.

Umbridge didn't seem to believe her, but after Shaye had made it through her rigorous session of questioning, she had no other option but to let her go and call in the next student.

Despite the fact that Umbridge and Filch were cracking down on the students, desperately searching for even the smallest breadcrumb that would lead them to the secret organization that was the defensive magic lessons in the Room of Requirement, the meetings continued on just like before.

While the group continued to reinforce the basics, like disarming and stunning, they also started getting into more advanced spells. One day, they spent the entire space of allotted time taking turns making others float in mid-air. Nigel, because he was the smallest, was the guinea-pig for this . . . he ended up falling quite a few times, but every time he got up with a smile on his face, ready to let someone else give it a go.

With the showdown between the students and Umbridge and Filch increasing in intensity, Fred and George started using their special set of skills to leave 'presents' for Filch. Shaye's favourite was when they had left a heart-shaped box of candies for Filch, with a note that said it came from Umbridge. The next time they saw Filch, his face was covered in huge, red boils.

It was, without a doubt, some of their best work.

The stakes got even higher after that. Umbridge created an Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit, which of course, attracted Draco and his goons. They wanted nothing more than to take down Harry and his merry band of friends, and apparently being a part of something so childish (which when boiled down, was nothing more than a squad of snitches) didn't even bother them.

With the holidays just around the corner, the days got shorter, the nights got colder, the meetings got harder to keep a secret and Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad, which was led by Filch, was growing by the week.

"Working hard is important," Harry would tell everyone. "But there's something that matters even more. Believing in yourself. Think of it this way. Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now: students. If they can do it, why not us?"

Harry's words of wisdom always managed to brighten everyone's spirits, even during the hardest of lessons. One day, Ginny even managed to turn the practice dummy to soot by using the spell, " _Reducto!_ "

Everyone stared at the youngest Weasley with wide eyes. Ginny just beamed, impressed with herself more than anything.

The best day, however, was the day that Neville finally managed to successfully disarm someone. It was the final lesson before Christmas break and the Room of Requirement had even been decorated with a tree and glowing candles. The room had been bustling with side conversation when all of a sudden, Neville shouted, " _Expelliarmus!_ "

The wand flew out of Pavarti's hand and fell to the ground. By then, the room had gone completely silent. The sound of the wand dropping was deafening.

"Fantastic, Neville," Harry told him as a bunch of students gathered around to congratulate him. "Well done, man."

Once the lesson was over, Harry, Shaye, Ron and Hermione gathered at the front of the room to address everyone. 

"So that's it for this lesson," Harry said. "Now, we're not going to be meeting again until after the holidays. So just keep practicing on your own as best you can. And . . . and well done, everyone. Great, great work."

Shaye, Ron and Hermione led the round of applause for Harry and in seconds, the entire group was clapping for him.

"Top job, mate," Ron whispered to Harry.

Harry smiled, and it was hard to believe that he ever had doubts about this defence club in the first place. "Thanks."

As the applause died down, the group started gathering their things and saying goodbye to one another for the holidays. It was amazing to watch people who would never normally hang out be so close. Aside from learning defence, the club had really brought together a whole new network of friends, which was important to have when Umbridge was working hard to keep the students feeling alone and miserable.

Shaye turned to congratulate Harry, but he was in his own world. His eyes were locked onto Cho, who was standing across the way.

"See you in the common room, Harry," Hermione said, noticing he was distracted as well and slyly excusing him to go and talk to her.

As Shaye and the others exited the room, Harry and Cho were left alone. 

When Harry returned to the common room later that evening, Ron immediately began asking him what had happened with Cho. Shaye and Hermione opted to give him a little more privacy, so they let Ron do all of the digging and sat nearby to hear the answers.

Finally, Harry admitted to kissing her.

"Well, how was it?" Ron inquired.

"Wet," Harry answered. "I mean, she was sort of crying."

Ron chuckled. "That bad at it, are you?"

"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory." Hermione stuck up for her friend. "Cho spends half her time crying these days."

"You'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up," Ron smirked.

"You are an idiot." Shaye hit him with one of the throw pillows. "You really, truly are."

Hermione shook her head. "Don't you understand how she must be feeling?" The boys' expressions were stone-cold. They hadn't a clue. "Well, obviously, she's feeling sad about Cedric, and therefore confused about liking Harry, and guilty about kissing him, conflicted because Umbridge is threatening to sack her mum from her job at the Ministry, and frightened of failing her O-W-Ls because she's so busy worrying about everything else," she explained. 

"One person couldn't feel all that. They'd explode," Ron said.

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon . . ." Hermione glared at him.

The four immediately started cracking up. They were the only ones left in the common room, so with the fire crackling behind where Harry was sitting on the floor, and the other three perched upon the couch, they had a good laughing fit.

Sometimes, it was good to forget everything and just laugh. Sometimes, Shaye forgot that . . . but it always came back to her when she needed it the most. 


	66. Found Family

It was late. Shaye wasn't sure, exactly, what the time was, but she knew she should definitely be in bed and sleeping, just like everyone else. The only problem was, she couldn't. Shaye had lied in bed for an hour or so, tossing and turning, but her brain just wouldn't shut off; she couldn't stop thinking about the Room of Requirement and Lorelei's map. The recent discovery had rekindled the burning desire to find her sister, but still, things didn't seem to add up. With every new puzzle piece she found, it seemed as though there were five more missing.

Staring at the map in her hands, which had sat at the bottom of her trunk all year until the Room of Requirement had been found, Shaye read the message on the back over and over again. "The hidden hiding place," she whispered to herself. "What does it mean?"

It was then that Shaye heard two pairs of rushed footsteps coming down the stairs. As Shaye turned to look over the back of the couch, she watched as Ron and Harry rushed into the common room. Ron's face was pale and Harry was dripping with sweat, his eyes wide. It looked like he had had another nightmare.

"I'm going to get McGonagall." Ron's eyes met Shaye's. "Watch him for me, would you?"

"O-okay." Shaye agreed, but Ron was already out of the room before she finished.

Looking worse for wear, Harry sat down on the couch beside Shaye and wiped the sweat from his brow. He always looked bad after having a nightmare, but this was the worst she had ever seen before.

"What was it about?" she asked.

Harry swallowed hard. "Ron's dad. He was at the Ministry and he was being attacked."

"And you think it really happened?"

Harry nodded slowly. "It felt real."

Not a minute later, Ron and McGonagall appeared in the common room. Without a word, McGonagall ushered the three students into the corridor and toward Dumbledore's office. With her wand lighting the way through the dark halls, McGonagall had her grey hair in a messy braid that flopped over her left shoulder. She was also wearing her dressing gown. It was weird seeing her in an unprofessional manner.

Harry was breathing heavily the whole way, his feet shuffling along the ground. Once McGonagall had escorted the three Gryffindors to Dumbledore's office and was convinced that Harry wasn't about to pass out, she left to retrieve the rest of the Weasleys.

Before long, Dumbledore's office was fuller than it ever normally was.

"In the dream, were you standing next to the victim?" Dumbledore asked. He wasn't even facing Harry. "Or looking down at the scene?"

"Neither." Harry's voice quivered. His shirt was drenched with sweat. "It was like I . . . Professor, will you please just tell me what's happening?"

"Everhardt, Arthur's on guard duty tonight." Dumbledore turned to one of the paintings on his wall. "Make sure he's found by the right people." With that, the man in the painting got up from his chair and left. Harry tried to get Dumbledore's attention, but the headmaster ignored him. "Phineas, you must go to your portrait at Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore told one of the other paintings. "Tell them that Arthur Weasley is gravely injured and his children will be arriving there soon by port key."

Just then, Everhardt returned to his portrait in the office. "They've got him, Albus," he said. "It was close, but they think he'll make it. What's more, the Dark Lord failed to acquire it."

"Ah, thank goodness." Dumbledore exhaled.

"Look at me!" Harry shouted. He had lost his patience. "What's happening to me?"

Dumbledore turned slowly, the warm glow from the fireplace illuminating his features in the otherwise dark room. He looked indifferent to Harry's outburst, but before he could say a word, Snape entered the office.

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" Snape addressed Dumbledore.

"Severus, I'm afraid we can't wait," Dumbledore told him. "Not even till the morning. Otherwise, we'll all be vulnerable."

Snape glared down at Harry before grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him out of the office. In the meantime, Shaye glanced over at Fred, George, Ron and Ginny, who all had looks of uncertainty and fear on their faces. Shaye knew exactly how they were feeling. She had felt the same thing, only ten times worse, the previous year when she had been told her father had been killed. She wouldn't wish that sort of anguish on her worst enemy.

Shaye watched George carefully, noticing the way he wrapped his arms around himself tight and stayed huddled close with his siblings. When he looked over at her, she wanted nothing more than to run to him and hug him. But she couldn't. So, instead, she let the corners of her mouth curl into a tiny smile. It was a smile of comfort, one to tell him that she was there for him . . . that everything was going to be all right.

"Miss Frazier, you may return to your common room," Dumbledore said. "Ron and his siblings will be travelling to Grimmauld Place to be with their mother."

"Okay." Shaye nodded before looking to the Weasleys. "I'll see you soon."

═══════════════

With holiday break right around the corner, Shaye received word from her mother that she was going to spend the holiday with her sister, who lived in Stamford. Aunt Nina was an odd witch who lived in a small home with her husband, who had worked at the Ministry with Shaye's father, and their five children, who were all under the age of ten. Not one of them had started attending Hogwarts yet, and Shaye was grateful for that. She loved her cousins dearly, but they were definitely cut from a different cloth when compared to Shaye and Lorelei.

Despite her many odd quirks, like insisting on wearing the same old hat every New Year to bring good luck to the coming year, Nina was Elise's sole lifeline after Dorian had died and Shaye had gone back to school.

Shaye would never admit it to anyone who asked, but she was sort of relieved when she learned that she could spend Christmas with her friends instead of having to return to a house full of painful memories and a mother who barely spoke to her anymore.

So, after travelling back to London with the majority of the student body, Shaye accompanied Harry and Hermione to Grimmauld Place, where all the Weasleys (even Arthur) were waiting for them. On the trip, Harry had taken the time to explain to Shaye and Hermione that Snape had started giving him Occlumency lessons. According to the adults, Harry's realistic dreams were a result of a connection between his own mind and Voldemort's. The lessons were supposed to teach Harry how to keep him out of his mind.

Harry said the one-on-one lessons with Snape were dreadful. Shaye believed him.

All bad thoughts were immediately banished as soon as Shaye, Harry and Hermione stepped through the threshold of number 12 Grimmauld Place, which Molly Weasley had taken the time to decorate for the holidays. There was a large, fake-snow-covered Christmas tree and ornaments strewn everywhere. It looked much more cheerful than it had when everyone had been there just before school had started in the fall.

Before long, the group had settled into a routine and the holidays were spent with loved ones, whether blood-related or not. Shaye was overjoyed to see that Arthur was making a quick recovery, as he had been released from the hospital a few days prior. At least someone's father had been given a second chance.

"Here we go." Molly grinned as she wheeled Arthur up to the dining table. "Daddy's back."

Everyone clapped happily for Arthur, who, despite looking a little rough around the edges, was grinning alongside his wife. His left arm was in a sling and he had quite a few cuts and bruises on his face, but the purple paper crown atop his head balanced it all out.

"Sit down, everybody, sit down." Molly gestured to the lovely meal that she had prepared. "That's it. Now, presents."

Shaye's mind immediately went to the gift she had gotten her mother. It had been a framed photo of the entire family together, but the frame glowed softly whenever someone in the photo was thinking about someone else. Shaye wondered if her mother had liked the gift or if it had been too much too soon. She wondered if the frame was glowing right now. She hoped her mother was having a good holiday.

Shaye snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Ron, Fred, George and Ginny all opening their gifts from their mother, which, like every year, were homemade articles of clothing. Ron and Ginny got sweaters with their initials on them while Fred and George got scarves.

Just then, Harry and Sirius entered the kitchen.

"Oh, Harry! There you are. Happy Christmas." Molly picked up a small red box and handed it to Harry. Then, she picked up an orange box and handed it to Shaye. "I have something for you too, dear. Happy Christmas. It's lovely to have you all with us."

Shaye took the present and opened hers at the same time as Harry. The two of them had gotten knitted winter hats. "Thank you." Shaye tucked her gift safely away. "You really didn't have to get me anything."

"Well, of course, I did!" Molly scoffed. "You're family and I knit for family."

Shaye smiled wide. "Thank you."

George leaned over and lowered his voice. "She doesn't actually knit them, you know. The needles are enchanted."

Shaye chuckled. Molly, who had heard what he had said, smacked George on the shoulder.

"A Christmas toast!" Arthur rose his glass. Everyone did the same. "To Mr. Harry Potter, without whom, I would not be here. Harry."

"Harry!" everyone chorused. 

With that, a lovely dinner was enjoyed by all. There were light conversations and laughter and the telling of stories. It was the first time in a long time that Shaye had felt like she was part of a family. It might not have been her blood family, but it was her family nonetheless. 

At that moment, it felt as though the people around her were more her family than her real family had ever been.

Over the remaining few days spent at Grimmauld Place before everyone was to return to Hogwarts, time was spent eating too much food, enjoying each other's company, and trying (and usually failing) to avoid the pranks that the twins set up all around the house. Fred and George were beginning to grow a little stir-crazy and Molly was quickly reaching her wit's end with them. 

One afternoon, while she was packing away the presents she had gotten from her friends and extended family, there was a knocking sound at the window and Shaye turned to see a large owl waiting at the window. Not recognizing the owl at first, Shaye peered through the window before opening it. In the owl's beak, there was a package. As soon as she spotted her mother's handwriting on the brown paper, Shaye opened the window and took the package.

Shaye watched as the owl flew away. Then, she carefully ripped away the brown paper to reveal an item that she recognized right away. It was the framed photo she had given her mother for Christmas.

Elise had sent it back.

"What's that?" 

Shaye whipped around at the voice and saw George standing in the doorway, watching her. "It's um . . ." She noticed that the frame wasn't glowing. Her mother wasn't thinking about her. " . . . it's the Christmas gift I got my mother."

"She sent it back?" George stepped closer. 

"Yeah." Shaye deadpanned before she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. "I think I'm losing her," she said. "She's the only family I have left and she feels like a complete stranger."

"Don't say that." George wrapped his arms around Shaye, the framed photo squished between their chests. "She'll come around. It takes longer for some people. Mum's still shaken after what happened to dad and he's going to be just fine. Everyone handles things differently."

Shaye nodded. "I know you're right . . . I just wish you weren't. I wish my mum's healing process didn't mean shutting me out."

"I know. I know." George smiled softly. "Well, speaking of Christmas gifts, I came to give you this." He pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Thought it would be better if I gave it to you alone. That way Fred and Ron don't ruin it with their comments."

Shaye set the picture frame down in her trunk. "Oh, George. I . . . oh, Merlin . . . I didn't get you anything. I completely forgot. I'm the worst-"

"Hey, hey. That's okay." George assured her. "You have more important things on your mind right now."

"But your dad was in the hospital and you remembered."

George scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "I might have been holding onto this for a while now."

"George." Shaye didn't know what else to say as she took the small box from his hand, untied the red ribbon and opened the lid. Inside the box was a beautiful corsage made of red carnations. Shaye could tell the flowers were real but somehow they hadn't wilted at all by being in the box.

"This was the corsage that I had gotten you for the Yule Ball last year," George explained. "Never got a chance to give it to you 'cause of my colossal mess up. But I thought you should still have it."

Shaye gasped. "You kept this for a whole year?"

"Yeah. It reminded me of you. I think you need it more now though . . . you need to be reminded of you," he said. "Sometimes I think you forget how strong and incredible you are. Whenever I look at those flowers I remember that about you. Maybe you'll remember the same thing when you look at them too."

Shaye felt the tears start to pool in her eyes once more. Now she _really_ didn't know what to say. "They're beautiful." she squeaked out before reaching up to kiss him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." 

"Hey, George?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas."


End file.
